Dunham Bridge

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Dunham Bridge
Geograph 312987 Dunham Bridge.jpg
Dunham Bridge
Coordinates53°15′40″N 0°46′22″W / 53.2611°N 0.77265°W / 53.2611; -0.77265Coordinates: 53°15′40″N 0°46′22″W / 53.2611°N 0.77265°W / 53.2611; -0.77265
Carries A57 
CrossesRiver Trent
Other name(s)Dunham Toll Bridge
History
Opened1832
Statistics
TollYes
Location

Dunham Bridge is a toll bridge across the River Trent in England. It spans the border between the administrative counties of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the west and east respectively. It forms part of the A57 road, in the section between the Great North Road and Lincoln. It takes its name from the nearby village of Dunham-on-Trent.

History[]

Until the bridge was built and opened in 1832, the crossing of the river was by Dunham Ferry. In 1814, the fare was reported at half a crown.[1]

The bridge was established in the 1830s, under the powers of the Dunham Bridge Act 1830,[2] when a group of local businessmen organised the original four-span, cast-iron construction[3][4] by the civil engineer, George Leather (1786–1870).[5]

The first person to cross the bridge was Eliza Woolas of Laneham, who used a sixteen-inch batten to span the remaining gap on a Sunday - presumably when no workmen were present.[6]

River Trent flooded (from Dunham Bridge) 1977

The superstructure was rebuilt on its original piers in 1977–79 to trunk road standards.[3][4] A new toll plaza was opened in 1994 by the Right Honourable Mr. Michael Dennis, doubling the number of lanes through the booths from two to four.[3] During the rebuilding, a temporary bridge was built with single lane usage, controlled with temporary traffic signals.

Tolls[]

The tolls were last increased in 2013.[7] Tariffs are regulated by the Department for Transport.[8] Passage is free at all times for pedestrians, cyclists, motor-cyclists and three-wheeled invalid carriages. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, passage is free for all traffic.[9]

Dunham Bridge has been closed several times due to flooding, mainly on the Lincolnshire side: in 1897, 1977, 2001, and during the last week of December 2012 due to flooding. It was also closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Next road crossing upstream River Trent Next road crossing downstream
Winthorpe Bridge
 A1 		 Dunham Bridge
Grid reference SK819744		 Trent Bridge, Gainsborough
 A631 

Further reading[]

  • Office of Public Sector Information. "Dunham Bridge (Amendment) Act 1994". 1994 c.4. Retrieved 3 May 2008.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Letters from England, Volume 2. Robert Southey. 1814
  2. ^ "Dunham Bridge – the Company". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
  3. ^ a b c "Dunham Bridge – Homepage". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
  4. ^ a b Historic England. "Dunham Bridge (324781)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  5. ^ A biographical dictionary of civil engineers in Great Britain and Ireland. By A. W. Skempton
  6. ^ Nottingham Journal, 20 April 1907
  7. ^ "'Historic' toll bridge between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire changes prices". Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Dunham Bridge – Tolls". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
  9. ^ "Dunham Bridge – Homepage". Dunham Bridge Company. Retrieved 3 May 2008.

External links[]

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