Halfpenny Bridge And Lodge House

Halfpenny Bridge and Lodge House is a pedestrian bridge with a tollhouse, built in 1862 for the tollhouse and 1877 for the bridge itself. The bridge is made of steel with limestone ashlar abutments, while the tollhouse is constructed from limestone ashlar and has a slate roof.

The bridge features a riveted steel girder design with a steel lattice balustrade, set against stone revetments. The river-facing side is ashlar faced, and the approach ramps are built from coursed rubble, emerging from steep banks on either side. There are three positions on the bridge with a lettered plate that reads: "Westwood Baillie and Company, Contractors, Poplar, London. T.E.M. Marsh Esq Engineer 1877." The footway is macadamised.

The tollhouse has a small tower-like structure with three levels, each containing one room. The top level features a panelled door and a blocked opening facing the east footway. The south side has one small blocked opening, while the west side has a blocked opening at the middle level and a blocked doorway at tow path level on the river side, along with a small blocked opening at the top level. The roof is hipped, with cut stone hips and an ashlar stack with three flues located at the southwest corner. Various steel channel or flat strappings are present. The river face of the tollhouse displays a series of incised dates that record flood levels from 1866 to 1960, with the highest level marked as November 15th, 1894.

Historically, the first footbridge at this location was built in 1863, connecting Widcombe with the city. This original bridge was a 100-foot wide bow string trussed structure made of timber, designed by Hicks & Isaacs, but it collapsed in June 1877 due to overloading while hundreds were waiting to pay their toll during the Bath and West Show. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of eight people and numerous injuries. The replacement bridge was quickly constructed using a more stable steel box girder design, utilizing the same piers as the previous bridge. T.E.M. Marsh, who oversaw the inquiry into the collapse, was the engineer for the new bridge.