Bridge Over The River Wey

The bridge over the River Wey in Weybridge was built in 1865, designed by C H Howell, the County Surveyor of Surrey. The cast iron sections were produced by the firm of Hennet, Spink and Else, whose name is displayed at the crown of each arch. Many of the bricks used in the parapet wall are impressed with the name Joseph Hamblet from Oldbury, Birmingham, dated 1865. The bridge features grey brick piers with stone coping and dressings, and it has three cast iron elliptical arches with openwork panels, each spanning 43 feet 6 inches, contributing to a total length of 183 feet. The width between the parapets is 24 feet 4 inches, and each span includes 6 cast iron ribs. The piers and abutments are faced with brick and stone, while the balustrades, approximately 4 feet high, consist of cast iron interlinked hoops on a stone plinth. Weybridge derives its name from a bridge across the River Wey, with the first reference to a bridge at this location dating back to 675 AD in a document related to Chertsey Abbey. A narrow wooden bridge suitable only for horses was in place by 1571, and in 1808, a bridge with 13 wooden arches was constructed for vehicles before being replaced by the current bridge. A new road bridge opened 50 yards downstream in 1945, which reduced traffic and helped maintain the unaltered condition of this bridge. Weybridge and the Resolven bridge/aqueduct for the Vale of Neath railway are the only known structures associated with George Hennet or the firm of Hennet, Spink and Else that have survived in their original condition.