Old Walton Bridge - History

History

Construction of the bridge by a Mr White of Weybridge was started in 1748 and was completed in 1750. The construction was paid for by Samuel Dicker who was the MP for Plymouth. By paying for its construction Dicker also obtained the right to collect tolls from users of the bridge. There were some objections to the construction of the bridge from the ferry operators, who thought it would impact their livelihoods; the bargees who thought it would make the river unnavigable; and residents of Walton-on-Thames who were worried about an influx of undesirable elements from north of the river. Despite the opposition, Dicker pressed on with construction, probably motivated by his own desire for easy access to London and for the financial benefits the tolls would bring.

The design of the bridge was by William Etheridge who also designed the smaller but similar Mathematical Bridge across the River Cam at Queens' College, Cambridge and had been responsible for the construction of many of the timber centres of the Westminster Bridge while working as James King's foreman. First constructed between 1749 and 1750, this bridge still stands, although it has been rebuilt twice, most recently in 1905. The Old Walton Bridge was supported by four central stone piers connected by three arches built of wooden beams and joists. The span of the central arch was 130 feet (39 m), at the time the widest unsupported span in England (it was surpassed by William Edwards Bridge at Pontypridd). The other two main arches were each 44 feet (13 m), though Dicker later suggested that the design would have allowed for side spans of 70 ft or more. Away from the water there were five further small brickwork arches on each side of the river. On the strength of their success with Walton Bridge Etheridge and Dicker put forward two proposals for a bridge at Blackfriars, one for building in stone and the other in timber. The stone-built proposal was accepted but several changes to Etheridge's design lead to him leaving the project before it was completed.

Although considered an impressive feat of engineering at the time of its construction, the bridge stood for only 33 years. Dicker died in London in 1760 and his estates in the area were sold. The bridge passed to his nephew, Michael Dicker Sanders, but he found it difficult to meet the costs of its upkeep. A report on the condition of the bridge in 1778 suggested that decay in the wooden frame made it unsuitable for use, and it was dismantled in 1783 to make way for a brickwork bridge which was completed in 1788 and eventually collapsed in 1859.