Maidenhead Bridge - Present Structure

Present Structure

In 1750 the bridge was again in a state of disrepair and a contract for "great works" was awarded to Mr Stiff Leadbetter of Eaton. The estimated cost was £600 and the actual cost on the final bill was £794 9s 2d - equivalent to £114 thousand today. This prompted the corporation to consider the large ongoing cost of maintaining the old structure and decision was made to build an entirely new bridge.

Two designs were submitted. Mr Fuller White proposed a timber structure and Robert Taylor a thirteen-arch Portland stone bridge. The corporation preferred Taylor's design but demanded that the original cost of £25,000 (equivalent to £2.59 million today) be reduced. Taylor therefore modified the design so that only the river arches were of Portland stone, the rest in brick.

The rebuilding was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1771 and Taylor's design was built by John Townsend of Oxford (builder of Swinford Bridge) at a total cost of £19,000 (equivalent to £1.96 million today). Works were delayed until a temporary ferry had been constructed and the foundation stone was laid by the Mayor of Maidenhead on 19 October 1772. After delays caused by ice, frost and flooding the centre arch was completed in 1775. The new bridge was finished and finally opened for traffic in 1777.

In 1966 Nikolaus Pevsner recorded it in his Buildings of Berkshire as "a beautiful piece of 1772–7.... seven main water-arches with rock rustication on the voussoirs... fine balustrade".