Eaton Footbridge
Eaton Footbridge is a wooden footbridge across the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated on the reach above Grafton Lock.
Eaton Footbridge | |
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 | |
| Coordinates | 51.685531°N 1.644331°W |
| Carries | Footpath |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | Oxfordshire |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Wood |
| Height | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1936 |
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The bridge was built in 1936 on the site of the last flash lock on the river which was in a weir known as Hart's Weir. The weir and lock, the last remaining on the Thames, were removed that year leaving the mooring cuts which are still in use. There was a lock keeper at the weir and a walkway across which is the precedent for the current bridge. The flash lock was notoriously difficult and Thacker quoted Henry Taunt: "I recollect one winter in passing this very weir, when lying on my back in the boat to get through, scraping a fair amount of skin off my nose and face though contact with the bridge whilst going under it."[1]
See also
- Crossings of the River Thames
References
- Thacker, Fred. S. (1968) [1920]. The Thames Highway. II: Locks and Weirs. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. p. 48. SBN 7153-4233-9.
| Next crossing upstream | River Thames | Next crossing downstream |
| Buscot Lock (pedestrian) | Eaton Footbridge | Radcot Bridge (road) |