Swinford Toll Bridge
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox Bridge
|bridge_name=Swinford Toll Bridge
|image=Oxfordeynsham5.JPG
|caption=
|official_name=
|carries= B4044 road
|crosses=River Thames
|locale= Eynsham, Oxfordshire
|maint=
|id=
|designer =
|design=
|material = Stone
|spans =
|pierswater =
|mainspan=
|length=
|width=
|height={{convert|14|ft|9|in|m}}
|clearance=
|below=
|traffic=
|open= 1769
|closed=
|toll= £0.05 per car (& others for larger traffic)
{{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Grade II* Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Swinford Bridge (that part in Cumnor)
| designation1_type =
| designation1_criteria =
| designation1_date = 9 February 1966
| delisted1_date =
| designation1_partof =
| designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1284764|short=yes}}
}}
|map_cue=
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|coordinates= {{coord|51.7746|N|1.3596|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
}}
Swinford Toll Bridge is a privately owned toll bridge across the Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It crosses the river just above Eynsham Lock, between the village of Eynsham on the north-west bank and the hamlet of Swinford on the south-east bank (in Berkshire until 1974). It carries the B4044 between Oxford and Eynsham, which was the A40 road until the north Oxford bypass was completed in 1936.
It is a Grade II* listed building,{{cite web |title=Swinford Bridge |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1284764 |website=National Heritage List for England |publisher=Historic England |access-date=29 April 2021}} and has been scheduled as an ancient monument.{{cite web |title=Swinford Bridge |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1006292 |website=National Heritage List for England |publisher=Historic England |access-date=29 April 2021}}
History
{{tooltip|Swinford Bridge|An alternative name}} is an archetypal Georgian bridge built of local limestone which opened in 1769. It replaced a ferry and its construction was funded by the then Earl of Abingdon.{{sfn|Thacker|1968|p=93}} The toll rights and concomitant duty to maintain are by Act of Parliament.An Act for building a Bridge cross the River Thames, from Swinford, in the County of Berks, to Eynsham, in the County of Oxford, {{tooltip|7|in the 7th regnal year of}} George III, {{tooltip|c.63 / XVIII|chapter (act number)}} dated 1767 (National Archives Reference: HL/PO/PU/1/1767/7G3n22).[https://archive.org/details/statutesatlarge13britgoog/page/n678/mode/2up Statutes at Large] 27 (1762). Cambridge: Joseph Bentham. It also made the building of bridges across the river illegal for {{convert|3|mi}} up or down stream. The bridge was completed two years later.{{sfn|Thacker|1968|p=93}}{{sfn|Jervoise|1930|p=4}}
If annual tolls outweigh annual maintenance the owners do not pay tax on that net income. This is a very rare perquisite agreed by Parliament and George III, rewarding the work of collecting the tolls in all financial circumstances. It provides for a similar tax-free status of formal local authorities, on their surpluses, if any. It is one of the two remaining toll bridges that cross the Thames, the other being Whitchurch Bridge.
Since 1835, tolls for pedestrians have been abolished.{{sfn|Baggs|Blair|Chance|Colvin|1990|pp=98–110}} Cycles and motorcycles are also exempt from tolls. Other classes of traffic remain subject to tolls. The tariff starts at 5p in the case of cars (without other vehicle or trailer under tow). Campaigns have been occasional to make the bridge toll-free.{{cite news |url= http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/news/740956.campaigners_want_5p_bridge_toll_scrapped/ |last=Miles |first=Rosalind |title=Campaigners want 5p bridge toll scrapped |newspaper=Witney Gazette |publisher=Newsquest |date=26 April 2006 }} Oxfordshire County Council estimates that 10,000 motor vehicles cross the bridge each day.[http://scrapthetoll.blogspot.com/2008/12/facts.html Scrap the Toll on Swinford Bridge in Oxfordshire]{{sps|date=February 2022}}[https://oxfordshire.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=afe8bef2e7514f91bb1bf6ec034fb69b OCC Annual Average Daily Traffic Map B4044 Site Number CP053] Toll collection causes delays in the peak times of day. CCTV enables enforcement against evasion. An online poll in 2006 on the Witney Gazette website showed that 87.5% of voters wanted the tolls scrapped.
The bridge was put up for sale in 2009{{cite news |first=Huma |last=Qureshi |title=Tax-free Thames toll bridge for sale |date=17 November 2009 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/nov/17/swinford-toll-bridge-for-sale |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=13 July 2011 |quote=Swinford toll bridge near the village of Eynsham in Oxfordshire is for sale at auction with a guide price of £1m–£1.25m. ... Tolls were last [uplifted] in 1994, but local residents are calling for the charges to be scrapped.}} and was sold at auction on 3 December for £1.08 million.{{cite news |first=Lauren |last=Turner |title=The 5p toll bridge is sold for £1.08m |date=2009-12-03 |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-5p-toll-bridge-is-sold-for-pound108m-1833601.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-5p-toll-bridge-is-sold-for-pound108m-1833601.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=13 July 2011}}{{cite web |url= http://www.auction.co.uk/commercial/LotDetails.asp?A=600&MP=24&ID=600000109&S=L&O=A |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110904162943/http://www.auction.co.uk/commercial/LotDetails.asp?A=600&MP=24&ID=600000109&S=L&O=A |url-status= dead |archive-date= 4 September 2011 |publisher=Allsop Auctions |title=catalogue}} A campaign calling for Oxfordshire County Council to buy the bridge{{cite news |first=Loic |last=Vennin |title=English bridge for sale amid toll rumpus |date=2 December 2009 |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/6710397/English-bridge-for-sale-amid-toll-rumpus.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=13 July 2011 |quote=Tomlinson wants the local government authority, the Oxfordshire county council, to buy the bridge ...}} was unsuccessful.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |editor-last1=Crossley |editor-first1=Alan |editor-last2=Elrington |editor-first2=CR |editor-link2=Christopher Elrington |last1=Baggs |first1=AP |last2=Blair |first2=WJ |last3=Chance |first3=Eleanor |last4=Colvin |first4=Christina |last5=Cooper |first5=Janet |last6=Day |first6=CJ |last7=Selwyn |first7=Nesta |last8=Townley |first8=Simon C |year=1990 |chapter=Eynsham: Introduction |title=A History of the County of Oxford |volume=12: Wootton Hundred (South) including Woodstock |series=Victoria County History |place=London |publisher=Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research |isbn=978-0-19722-774-9 |pages=98–110 |url= https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol12/pp98-110 }}
- {{cite book |last=Jervoise |first=Edwyn |year=1930 |title=The Ancient Bridges of the South of England |volume=I |place=Westminster |publisher=The Architectural Press for the SPAB }}
- {{cite book |last=Thacker |first=Fred S |year=1968 |orig-year=1920 |title=The Thames Highway |volume=II: Locks and Weirs |place=Newton Abbott |publisher=David & Charles |id=SBN 7153-4233-9 }}
- {{cite book |last=de Villiers |first=E |year=1969 |title=Swinford Toll Bridge 1769–1969 |place=Eynsham |publisher=Eynsham History Group }}
External links
- {{cite web |url= https://eynsham.org.uk/org.aspx?n=Eynsham-Heritage&id=798 |title=Eynsham Heritage – Swinford Bridge |work=Eynsham Online}}
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{{River bridge start|River=River Thames}}
{{River item line|upstream=Pinkhill Lock (pedestrian)
|downstream=A34 Road Bridge (road)}}
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Category:Bridges in Oxfordshire
Category:Bridges across the River Thames
Category:Toll bridges in England
Category:Bridges completed in 1769
Category:Robert Taylor buildings
Category:Grade II* listed bridges in England