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The Great Britain Guide

Historic bridges · South East England

Reading Bridge

Free admission

Reading Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.

Reading Bridge, historic bridges in South East England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
15 min–30 min
Nearest railway station
Reading · 0.4 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Reading Bridge is a named historic bridge in the United Kingdom. Coordinates: 51.4610°, -0.9679°. This entry is part of The Great Britain Guide, a free, ad-free, open-data tourist directory.

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From the Wikipedia article

Reading Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames at Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the Lower Caversham area of the cross-river suburb, and former village, of Caversham on the north bank. It crosses the river a short way above Caversham Lock. The current bridge is the first on the site, and was opened on 3 October 1923. It has a single reinforced concrete main span of 180 feet (55 m), which was, at the time of construction, the longest such span in the United Kingdom. There are also two side arches for footpaths. The span rises to a height of 18 feet (5.5 m) at the centre, giving a navigation clearance of 17 feet 8 inches (5.38 m). The bridge deck is 40 ft (12 m) wide and carries a 27 ft (8.2 m) wide carriageway and two flanking footways.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Before the opening of Reading Bridge, the only road crossing between Reading and Caversham was at the Caversham Bridge site some 0.5 mi upstream, which has accommodated a series of bridges since around the end of the 12th century. In later years, a narrow footbridge across the top of the weir at Caversham Lock, known locally as The Clappers, provided a supplementary pedestrian route, especially between the terraced housing of Lower Caversham and the factory of Huntley & Palmers, but was becoming increasingly congested. In 1871, the Corporation of Reading had obtained permission to build a swing bridge across the river just above Caversham Lock, but this was never done. However in 1911,…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4610, -0.9679
District
Reading
Parish
Reading, unparished area
Postcode
RG1 8DB
Parliamentary constituency
Reading Central
Nearest railway station
Reading0.4 km
Opening
3 October 1923
Official site
www.reading.gov.uk

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Reading Bridge?
Reading Bridge is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RG1 8DB), in the parish of Reading, unparished area.
Who owns Reading Bridge?
Reading Bridge is owned by Reading Borough Council.
Is Reading Bridge free to visit?
Yes, Reading Bridge is free to enter.
How do I get to Reading Bridge?
The nearest railway station is Reading, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RG1 8DB.