Godstow Bridge is a road bridge across the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

in England at

Godstow Godstow is about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It lies on the banks of the River Thames between the villages of Wolvercote to the east and Wytham to the west. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, also known as Godstow Nunnery, are here. A bridge s ...

near

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. The bridge is just upstream of

Godstow Lock Godstow Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is between the villages of Wolvercote and Wytham on the outskirts of Oxford. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 179 ...

on the reach to

King's Lock King's Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in open country to the north of Oxford, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank of the river. The lock was one of the last pound locks built on the Thames, built by the Thames Conservancy i ...

and carries a minor road between

Wolvercote Wolvercote is a village that is part of the City of Oxford, England. It is about northwest of the city centre, on the northern edge of Wolvercote Common, which is itself north of Port Meadow and adjoins the River Thames. History The Domesday B ...

and

Wytham Wytham ( ) is a village and civil parish on the Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ( A34). The nearest village is G ...

. The bridge is in two parts. The older part crosses the original course of the river and weir stream near

The Trout Inn The Trout Inn (often simply referred to as The Trout) is a historic pub in Lower Wolvercote north of Oxford, close to Godstow Bridge, directly by the River Thames. Media and celebrities The pub features in Evelyn Waugh's novel ''Brideshead Re ...

, a well-known

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

. This stone bridge was in existence in 1692 and was probably the one held by the Royalists against Parliamentarians in 1645, during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. It has two arches, one being pointed and the other rounded. The newer part was built across the new lock cut in 1792. This has two round arches of brick and was rebuilt in 1892. The North arch dates from medieval times. The Bridge is a Grade II

Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. The importance of the bridge was reduced by the construction of the Oxford By-pass and the A34 Bridge a short distance upstream.

References

{{River item box Bridges across the River Thames Bridges in Oxfordshire Grade II listed buildings in Oxfordshire Bridges completed in the 17th century Bridges completed in 1792 Bridges completed in 1892 Grade II listed bridges

See also

References