Kingston Bridge

Kingston Bridge carries the A308 across the River Thames in south-west London. It links Kingston town centre in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames with Hampton Court Park, Bushy Park and Hampton Wick. The Thames Path crosses the river here, and the bridge marks the end of the Thames Down Link long-distance footpath from Box Hill & Westhumble station. Until Putney Bridge opened in 1729, it was the only Thames crossing between London Bridge and Staines Bridge. In 2005 it carried about 50,000 vehicles each day, with peaks of 2,000 vehicles per hour in each direction. The bridge’s history reaches back to Anglo-Saxon times. John Leland, a 16th-century antiquarian, recorded an older wooden bridge downstream of the present structure. Medieval records describe a timber bridge that fell into dangerous condition by 1318 and suffered damage during the Wars of the Roses and Wyatt’s rebellion. In 1567 Robert Hamond gave money to make the bridge free forever, though tolls briefly returned in the 18th century. By the early 19th century the old bridge had become too narrow and dilapidated, leading to its replacement. The present stone bridge, designed by Edward Lapidge, was opened in 1828 by the Duchess of Clarence. Built of Portland stone with five elliptical arches, it spans 382 feet and once carried tramlines installed in 1906. The roadway was widened in 1914 and again in 2000 to add cycle lanes, pavements and a bus lane. The bridge is now a Grade II* listed structure, and its original stones are preserved in Kingston’s FUSEBOX arts venue.