Rewley Road Swing Bridge

Rewley Road Swing Bridge is a disused railway swing bridge over Sheepwash Channel in west Oxford, England.[1][2] To the north are Cripley Meadow and Fiddler's Island and to the south are Osney Island and the Botley Road.

Rewley Road Swing Bridge
The old Rewley Road Swing Bridge with the newer Sheepwash Channel Railway Bridge behind over the Sheepwash Channel.
Coordinates51.755599°N 1.270721°W / 51.755599; -1.270721
CarriesBuckinghamshire Railway
CrossesSheepwash Channel
LocaleOxford, England
Maintained byOxford Preservation Trust
Characteristics
DesignSwing bridge
MaterialSteel girder
No. of spans1
History
DesignerRobert Stephenson
Opened1851
Closed1984
Location

The bridge was designed by Robert Stephenson and built in 1850–1.[3] It was reconstructed in 1890 and 1906, latterly using steel girders. The bridge closed to passenger traffic in 1951 and to goods in 1984.

Overview

The swing bridge was for the former Buckinghamshire Railway line of London and North Western Railway that used to serve the Oxford Rewley Road railway station (later London, Midland and Scottish Railway, LMS), which was on the site of the Saïd Business School.[4][5] It is close to Rewley Road Bridge to the east and Sheepwash Channel Railway Bridge to the west, which also cross Sheepwash Channel.[1]

Restoration project

The bridge is one of two swing bridges in England that are scheduled monuments.[3] In 2019, ownership passed from Network Rail to the Oxford Preservation Trust.[6]

The bridge was fully restored and in 2023 Oxford Preservation Trust are working on the surrounding landscape including new perimeter fencing.[7]

  • View of the swing bridge over Sheepwash Channel in 1977 when it was still in operation.
    View of the swing bridge over Sheepwash Channel in 1977 when it was still in operation.
  • The swing bridge in the open position on the north bank of the Sheepwash Channel.
    The swing bridge in the open position on the north bank of the Sheepwash Channel.
  • Close-up view of the end of the bridge.
    Close-up view of the end of the bridge.
  • View of Sheepwash Channel, with the site of the old swing bridge in the foreground and the newer railway bridge in the background.
    View of Sheepwash Channel, with the site of the old swing bridge in the foreground and the newer railway bridge in the background.
  • The Sheepwash Channel with the old swing bridge and the newer railway bridge behind.
    The Sheepwash Channel with the old swing bridge and the newer railway bridge behind.
  • Rewley Road Swing Bridge undergoing restoration in September 2021.
    Rewley Road Swing Bridge undergoing restoration in September 2021.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rewley Road Swing Bridge.
  1. "River Thames (Sheepwash Channel)". UK: CanalPlanAC. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  2. "Rewley Road Swing Bridge". Dereliction in the Shires: Oxfordshire Urban Exploration. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  3. Woolley, Liz (2012). Oxford's Working Past. Huxley Scientific Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-9522671-7-1.
  4. "Sheepwash Channel — Oxford Canal / River Thames". UK: Movable Bridges in the British Isles. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  5. "Rewley Road (LMS) Swing Bridge". Projects. UK: Oxford Preservation Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  6. Regional News Rail issue 882 3 July 2019 page 26
  7. "Oxford Swing Bridge Fencing". UK: Jacksons Fencing. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
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