Barnes Railway Bridge is a Grade II listed railway bridge in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the

London Borough of Hounslow The London Borough of Hounslow () is a London borough in West London, England, forming part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 when three smaller borough councils (forming part of the former Middlesex County Council area) amalgamated under ...

. It crosses the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in a northwest to southeast direction at Barnes. It carries the South Western Railway's Hounslow Loop Line, and lies between Barnes Bridge and Chiswick stations. It can also be crossed on foot, and is one of only three bridges in London to combine pedestrian and rail use; the others being

Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges The Hungerford Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and lies between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. Owned by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (who use its official name of Charing Cross Bridge) it is a steel truss railway bridge ...

and Fulham Railway Bridge. The original bridge at this location was constructed during the late 1849 in accordance with a design produced by the civil engineer

Joseph Locke Joseph Locke FRSA (9 August 1805 – 18 September 1860) was a notable English civil engineer of the nineteenth century, particularly associated with railway projects. Locke ranked alongside Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel as on ...

; this structure, which consisted of two pairs of

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...

arch spans, bore a considerable resemblance to the original

Richmond Railway Bridge Richmond Railway Bridge in Richmond, south-west London, crosses the River Thames immediately upstream of Twickenham Bridge. It carries National Rail services operated by South Western Railway (SWR) on the Waterloo to Reading Line, and lies be ...

, which was also designed by Locke. On 22 August 1849, the Barnes Bridge was opened to rail traffic. While Locke's incarnation of Barnes Bridge provided relatively trouble-free service, it has not seen use since the 1890s. During the latter decade of the nineteenth century, there was a scare regarding the suitability of cast iron bridges following the collapse of one such structure. As such, it was decided that a successor to the original Barnes Bridge should be constructed. During the 1890s, a wider replacement bridge, which was designed by Edward Andrews, was constructed by Head Wrightson on behalf of the

London & South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exeter ...

. This structure, which was built directly alongside its predecessor, comprises three spans of

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...

bow string girders, which carries a pair of railway tracks across the river. A pedestrian walkway was also added to the bridge at this time. The original Locke span remains standing along the up-stream side of its replacement, but is not used by any traffic. During 1983, Barnes Bridge was given protection as a Grade II listed structure. In the 2010s, the Barnes Bridge has been temporarily closed to pedestrians during the annual

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men' ...

to avoid excessive crowding on the structure.

History

Construction

During the 1840s, the

London and Southampton Railway The London and Southampton Railway was an early railway company between London and Southampton, in England. It opened in stages from 1838 to 1840 after a difficult construction period, but was commercially successful. On preparing to serve Por ...

Company, which was later renamed to the

London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exeter ...

Company, embarked upon the development of a new railway line, which ran between Nine Elms and Richmond. A few years later, it was decided that this line should be extended through to

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

; the new extension included the addition of loop from the village of Barnes to Chiswick and

Hounslow Hounslow () is a large suburban district of West London, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in ...

, which necessitated the construction of what would become known as Barnes Bridge over the

. Prior to the building of this structure, Barnes, which was a small settlement at that time, had never featured a river crossing.“Barnes Rail Bridge.”
‘’engineering-timelines.com’’, Retrieved: 15 June 2018. The responsibility for designing this crossing was assigned to the noted civil engineer

, who also designed several other structures along the route, including the similar

. In order to achieve the required statutory height of the bridge above the high water mark of the Thames, as to prevent the structure impinging upon the passage of traditional river traffic, Locke determined that it would be necessary to embank the river. Furthermore, in order to accommodate the bridge's construction along the south side of the river, several properties within ‘’The Terrace’’, a street of modest Georgian houses, had to be demolished to provide sufficient clearance, as the structure and connecting lines pass directly through the estate. As designed by Locke, Barnes Bridge consisted of two pairs of

arch spans, which had a length of 36.57 meters and a rise of 3.66 meters. Each arch was cast in four individual sections, while each span was strengthened via six cast iron arch ribs, which had a depth of 915mm. These spans were supported on brick piers, which were faced in Bramley Fall stone, and carried a deck composed of

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

across the river. During 1846, Fox Henderson & Co were appointed as the contractor for building the structure; work on its construction commenced shortly thereafter. The completed bridge was officially opened on 22 August 1849. However, in the present day, while elements of Locke's incarnation of Barnes Bridge remain in situ, it is no longer in use for rail traffic, having been replaced by a newer structure built alongside.

Widening and reconstruction

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, several engineers and officials had come to question the viable lifespan and long term stability of cast iron structures, such as the original Barnes Bridge. These fears had been largely motivated by the collapse of a cast iron span along the

Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line (also known as the South Central Main Line) is a major railway line in the United Kingdom that links Brighton, on the south coast of England, with central London. In London the line has two branches, out of and station ...

during 1891. Amid these concerns, in July 1891, an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

was approved for the replacement of Barnes Bridge by a structure principally composed of

. However, as a consequence of the company's strong desire for train services continue over the existing structure throughout the construction of its replacement, the new incarnation of Barnes Bridge was built alongside and the need for the complete dismantlement of Locke's original bridge was thereby avoided. Accordingly, following the new structure's completion, a single complete pair of spans of the original bridge remained, along with one span of the other pair directly adjacent to the first span. The new Barnes Bridge was designed by the civil engineer Edward Andrews and built by the contractor Head, Wrightson & Co. It consisted of three spans of

bow string girders, which were supported by extended piers and abutments. During 1894, work began on the extension of the existing brick abutments and piers; the new structure was completed during the following year. In conjunction with this work, a single footpath, possessing a width of 2.4 meters, was also added to the structure. Both the footpath and the second incarnation of Barnes Bridge have remained in use through to the present day. The presence of Barnes Bridge has forced the diversion of the

Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel, south east London. It is about long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996. The ...

, a pedestrian walkway along the banks of the Thames, as there is limited space between the bridge and the river to the point where a traditional footpath could not be provided. During November 2017, an application for planning permission was submitted to

Hounslow London Borough Council Hounslow London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Hounslow in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. History There have previously been a number ...

which proposed the construction of a bespoke pedestrian footbridge spanning along the bank of the Thames beneath Barnes Bridge, as a means of eliminating the need for a diversionary route in the future. Additionally, plans have been mooted for the reuse of the long out of use Locke structure, under which it is to be converted into a garden walkway; the ambition has reportedly attracted the support of national network infrastructure company

Network Rail Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...

. In late November and early December 2022 the bridge was closed to rail traffic for urgent repairs.

University Boat Race

Boat Race at Barnes Bridge 2003 - Oxford winners

Over time, Barnes Bridge has become a recognisable landmark on the Thames. It is commonly referenced during the annual

, where it has been suggested that whichever crew is ahead at this point will go on to win the race. During 2003, the competing crews were in almost equal position approaching the bridge, and Oxford won the race by just one foot. In recognition of its association with the boat races, the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

on Barnes Bridge includes a light blue oar (representing

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

) and a dark blue oar (representing

Oxford University 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 th ...

). During the first half of the twentieth century, it became common for the railway company to sell tickets to race spectators for access to the bridge as a means of generating revenue from the provision of a unique vantage point. However, in the twentyfirst century, Barnes Bridge has been intentionally closed to pedestrian traffic during the boat race on the grounds of public safety.

Footbridges

The Dukes Meadows Footbridge, underneath the northern span of Barnes Railway Bridge, is being constructed in 2022 to allow the Thames Path to run beside the river at this point, rather than taking a detour of hundreds of metres to the nearest foot tunnel. The architects of that footbridge, Moxon, has drawn up plans for a landscaped "green walkway" accessed by ramps on the disused 1849 railway bridge spans, joining up with the Thames path. The project is supported by

, the London Borough of Richmond and the

Gallery

File:Barnes.gif, The first Barnes Bridge, c. 1849 File:BarnesRailwayBridge.jpg, The current bridge from Barnes Bridge Station File:BarnesRailwayBridge P1020679r.jpg, Barnes Railway Bridge – view under decks showing the old disused span on the left File:Dukes Meadows Footbridge main span in place from Barnes Railway Bridge.jpg, Dukes Meadows Footbridge under construction, 2022

References

External links

* * {{LB Richmond 1849 establishments in England Barnes, London Bridges across the River Thames Bridges completed in 1849 Bridges completed in 1895 Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hounslow Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Grade II listed bridges in London Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Hounslow Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Pedestrian bridges across the River Thames Pedestrian bridges in London Railway bridges in London Transport in the London Borough of Hounslow Transport in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames