My Flickr Year 2024

 People like Pacers ☺

Three Richmond Bridges at night.

 Saturday 15th August 2020

A little nocturnal exploration of three bridges that cross the River Thames close together at Richmond, South West of London.

Richmond Lock & Footbridges

This interesting structure was what drew me to Richmond on a dull, damp post-lockdown Saturday evening when I had nothing better to do. So I parked by the river in Ranelagh Drive and went for a little walk.

Designed by F.G.M. Stoney (careful how you search for him!), Grade II listed, and opened in 1894 it combines a low-tide barrage with a lock at one end with a pair of footbridges. 

 

The footbridges support the suspended sluice gates which are used to maintain a navigable depth of water in the River Thames upstream when the tide goes out. Until some time in the second world war there was a 1d toll charged to pedestrians when crossing the bridge. Now it's free but the four disused toll-booths, one at each end of each bridge remain in situ. The bridge closes at night at 2130hrs in the summer or 1930hrs in the winter so I had about 15 minutes to cross it and take some photos which was ample. 

Richmond Lock is the furthest lock downstream on the River Thames and falls under the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority. 

For about two hours either side of high tide the sluice gates are raised up into the footbridge structure and boats can pass through under the bridge arches. At other times they need to go through the lock for which there's a charge - currently £7 and only payable by card because of You Know What.

 

From the footbridge walkway you can see upstream to the other two bridges.

Twickenham Bridge

Despite lying between Richmond Lock and Richmond Railway Bridge this road bridge comprising three reinforced concrete arches is named Twickenham Bridge because it carries the road to the town of Twickenham, home of the world's largest Rugby stadium.

They couldn't call it Richmond Bridge of course because an 18th century arched bridge linking the two halves of Richmond already existed. Which I didn't go to on this visit. Twickenham Bridge was built in 1933 as part of the Chertsey Arterial Road - now the A316 which links southwestern suburban London to the M3 motorway at Sunbury - it was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales, (later King Edward VIII until he abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, and was thereafter Duke of Windsor and an alleged Nazi sympathizer).

The bridge is Grade II listed, largely because of its Art Deco bronze lamp standards and balustrades. In 1992 the first Gatso speed camera in the UK was installed on Twickenham Bridge. 

Richmond Railway Bridge

Close to Twickenham Bridge the London Waterloo to Reading railway line crosses the River Thames approaching through the Old Deer Park on a viaduct.

Richmond Railway Bridge designed by Joseph Locke originally opened in 1848 when the line was extended from Richmond to Windsor. It was rebuilt in 1908 by the L&SWR chief engineer J W Jacomb-Hood replacing the 100ft iron girders with a steel truss design on the original piers and abutments as there were concerns over the integrity of the original structure. The main girders and decking were replaced again in 1984.

 

The Grade II listed bridge now carries multitudes of commuters (well not so much at the moment because of You Know What) on South Western Railway services.

I crossed back over the river and returned to the car past the night anglers and other characters lurking in the shadows just in time to get out of the returning rain.

 

This Flickr Album contains some more photos

London - Portrait Of A City

Monday 9th December 2019

The latest exhibition at Clerkenwell's London Metropolitan Archives deals with images of the capital from the 11th century to the present day.

From wax seals to digital photographs, images of London and Londoners are displayed on the walls and in glass cases of the small exhibition space and the stairs.

There are drawings, paintings, and prints, along with film and sound from the LMA's extensive archives. They are displayed by image-making technique with explanations of how the different technologies work. That's something that you don't usually get at an art gallery and it makes this an informative exhibition well worth visiting.

The LMA is a slightly odd place to visit. It's very low-key, the entrance in Northampton Road opposite Spa Fields is an unobtrusive doorway into what looks like just another office block save for a couple of vertical banners o the wall above and discreet "City of London" and "London Metropolitan Archives" signs over the door. On entry there's just a small reception/security desk where people coming in to access original material from the archives sign in but visitors to the exhibition are allowed through unmolested. I was asked if I'd visited before, which I had, once, and that was it. If you've not been before it might not be obvious where to go next - there's no big "To the exhibition" sign that you might expect. Take the stairs (or lift if you can't do stairs although some of the exhibits are on the walls in the stairwell). There's a Visitor Lounge n the mezzanine floor where you are able to leave coats and bags in free lockers. The rules say you must do this if going into the study areas but it's not clear if that applies to the exhibition as well. Do it anyway, it doesn't cost anything and you'll be more comfortable.

Most of the exhibition is on the first floor outside the doors to the information area and is well laid out if not particularly well lit. There are paper exhibition guides in standard and large print varieties which replicate the information in the displays but also contain a little map of the exhibition area. The toilets are adjacent to the exhibition area, should you need them.

I reckon you should allow an hour to study the pictures and read the words, and there is a short film to watch and some audio too. This is I have to point out not the sort of exhibition which is going to excite small children. As a somewhat older child I found it interesting and informative. If you're interested in London's history in pictorial form go and take a look. You've got until July the 8th when no doubt it will be replaced by something new and probably equally excellent. You'll be too late to get your name on the first line of the visitor comments book though cos' I've already done that 😀

London - Portrait Of A City

London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Rd, Farringdon, London EC1R 0HB

9th December 2019 to 8th July 2020

FREE ENTRY

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma

020 7332 3820

ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk