Bridge Over The River Wey

TQ 06 SE BOROUGH OF ELMBRIDGE BRIDGE ROAD Weybridge

374/4/14 Bridge over the River Wey 16.11.84 II

Bridge over River Wey. Built in 1865 to design of C H Howell, County Surveyor of Surrey and the founder of the cast sections was the firm of Hennet, Spink and Else, whose name is displayed at the crown of each arch. Impressed in many of the bricks forming the parapet wall is Joseph Hamblet, Oldbury, Birmingham, 1865. Grey brick piers with stone coping and dressings, cast iron arches and balustrading. Comprises three cast iron elliptical arches with openwork panels having spans of 43ft 6inches with a total length of 183 ft. The width between parapets is 24 ft 4 inches. Each span has 6 cast iron ribs. The piers and abutments are brick and stone faced and the balustrades, about 4 feet in height are of cast-iron interlinked hoops on stone plinth. Weybridge was named after a bridge across the river Wey, the first reference to a bridge here being in 675AD in a document relating to Chertsey Abbey. In 1571 the narrow wooden bridge was suitable only for horses. In 1808 a bridge with 13 wooden arches was built for vehicles and the present bridge replaced it. A new road bridge 50 yards downstream was opened in 1945 reducing the traffic and accounts for the unaltered condition of this bridge. Weybridge and the Resolven bridge/aqueduct for the vale of Neath railway are the only structures known to have been associated with either George Hennet or the firm of Hennet, Spink and Else which have survived in original condition.

Listing NGR: TQ0690164725