Cookham Bridge

2021

Cookham Bridge is a Grade II listed road bridge in Cookham, Berkshire, carrying the A4094 road across the River Thames.

The first Cookham Bridge, made of wood, was opened in 1840, but the present iron bridge dates from 1867.

The bridge was constructed by Pease, Hutchinson and Co of the Skerne Ironworks, Darlington. Cast iron pillars support wrought iron girders.

The vehicle weight limit is 7.5 tonnes, though buses and coaches are exempt from the limit.

For more information, see Wikipedia.

1868 'NEW IRON BRIDGE AT COOKHAM
Many of our readers will, no doubt, remember the quaint and picturesque old wooden bridge over the Thames at Cookham. It has been replaced by the light iron structure which is shown in our Engraving. The demolition of the old and the construction of the new bridge went on simultaneously; for, as the road could not be diverted, all the traffic must have been stopped if this arrangement had not been carried out. The new bridge was constructed by Messrs. Pease, Hutchinson, and Co., of the Skerne Ironworks, Darlington, under the immediate superintendence of Mr. W. G. Fossick and under the inspection of Mr. W. Atkinson, C.E., [probably William Atkinson] as representative of the Cookham Bridge Company, The contract price was £2520, which included the total cost of building the new and removing the old bridge, with all materials, not an extra having been charged. The bridge has considerable elegance of design. Its length is 335 ft, its clear width of roadway is 20 ft., and its height at the centre from the bed of the river to the top of the handrail is 30 ft. The superstructure consists of a wrought-iron continuous girder, supported at intervals of 40 ft. upon piers of iron piles. The girders are firmly bolted to the’ three centre piers, but ride upon the other piers expansion-rollers, as they likewise do on the abutments, which are of red brick, with ashlar caps and string courses. The transverse girders, 6 ft. 8 in. apart, are of wrought iron, and the platform is of Memel planking, carried upon longitudinal beams, the ends of which are inserted between the flanges of the transverse girders. The platform was covered with a thick coating of asphalte before the metalling was put on. The piles are cross-braced, and are screwed down into the bed of the river to a depth of from 6 ft. to 10 ft.'

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