Abingdon Bridge 3.18

Abingdon Bridge crosses the River Thames at the town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. It carries the A415 road from Abingdon to Dorchester, Oxfordshire, over the reach of the Thames between Culham Lock and Abingdon Lock.The bridge is actually two bridges, linked by Nag's Head Island. Abingdon Bridge is the northern part towards the town which has six arches and crosses the backwater and mill stream. The southern part is technically called Burford Bridge and has one main arch and four minor arches at the river and two minor arches on the floodplain. This crosses the main navigation channel. Furthermore, to complete the Thames crossing, Culham Bridge crossing the Swift Ditch should also be considered as an extension.HistoryAbingdon Bridge was begun in 1416 and completed in 1422, using local limestone quarried at Besselsleigh and Dry Sandford. The bridge was funded by Abingdon's religious guild, the Fraternity of the Holy Cross, and chiefly by two of the guild's members: a London merchant called William Hales and his wife Maud. The bridge replaced a ferry and its completion severely reduced trade at Wallingford.