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Gunthorpe Bridge

Coordinates: 52°59′10″N 0°59′15″W / 52.9862°N 0.9874°W / 52.9862; -0.9874
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Gunthorpe Bridge
Photo of New Gunthorpe Bridge
Coordinates52°59′10″N 0°59′15″W / 52.9862°N 0.9874°W / 52.9862; -0.9874
Carries A6097 
CrossesRiver Trent
Characteristics
Longest span38.1 metres (125 ft)
History
OpenedOld Bridge c1925. New Bridge c1927.
Location
Map

Gunthorpe Bridge is a bridge over the River Trent at Gunthorpe, Nottinghamshire.

History

[edit]
Gunthorpe Bridge Act 1870
Act of Parliament
Long titleAn Act to authorise the construction of a Bridge over the river Trent in the county of Nottingham, and Roads and Approaches thereto, to be called "the Gunthorpe Bridge."
Citation33 & 34 Vict. c. xxxii
Dates
Royal assent20 June 1870
Other legislation
Repealed byNottinghamshire County Council (Gunthorpe Bridge) Act 1925
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Until 1875, the only way to cross the river was by ferry, or ford.

The Gunthorpe Bridge Company was formed in 1870 to build the bridge. A capital of £7,500 (equivalent to $910,000 in 2023),[1] was raised in £10 shares. The foundation stone was laid in 1873 and the bridge opened in 1875. It was built largely in iron.

The tolls were:

  • horse and carriage 1/-,
  • horse and wagon 6d,
  • horse alone 3d,
  • people and passengers 1d,
  • motorcycles 3d,
  • cars 1/-
  • lorries 2/6,

Nottinghamshire County Council (Gunthorpe Bridge) Act 1925
Act of Parliament
Citation15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. lvii
Dates
Royal assent31 July 1925
Other legislation
Repealed byNottinghamshire County Council Act 1985
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

It was only able to handle 6 tons of weight and with the advent of commercial vehicular traffic it was determined a modern structure was needed.[2] The Nottinghamshire County Council (Gunthorpe Bridge) Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. lvii) empowered Nottinghamshire County Council to buy out the owners, demolish the bridge and replace it with the present one.

The current bridge is a three span, reinforced concrete arch bridge. It was built in 1927, 400 metres upstream from the old one, with new bypass roads for the Gunthorpe and East Bridgford villages.[3][4] The central arch spans 38.1 metres. The two side arches span 30.9 metres. Each of the three arches contains four ribs.[5]

See also

[edit]
Next road crossing upstream River Trent Next road crossing downstream
Lady Bay Bridge
 A6011 
Gunthorpe Bridge
 A6097 
Grid reference SK680436
 A617 
Kelham Bridge
Next bridge upstream River Trent Next bridge downstream
Rectory Junction Viaduct
Nottingham–Grantham line
Gunthorpe Bridge
 A6097 
Grid reference SK680436
Averham Viaduct
Nottingham–Lincoln line


References

[edit]
  1. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Trent Valley Way: Nottingham to Gunthorpe - Midlands Walk". Hill Explorer. Gunthorpe Toll Bridge information board
  3. ^ "Towns and Villages Around Nottingham | Gunthorpe". www.visitoruk.com.
  4. ^ "Geograph:: The old Gunthorpe Toll bridge (C) Alan Murray-Rust". www.geograph.org.uk.
  5. ^ Sprayed concrete technology: Simon A. Austin, American Concrete Institute, Sprayed Concrete Association. 1996