The Town Bridge

The Town Bridge.

From well before 1795 the wooden bridge (below) spanned the river from High Street to the Market Place and after many expensive repairs, the last of which was in that year and cost about £500, it was agreed, in 1800, to take the wooden bridge down, and to replace it with a better structure.

In August 1800, the Corporation decided the new bridge (see below) should be of iron, and its building commenced in 1802. It was designed by Sir John Rennie in one arch of cast iron of 86 foot span. The site of the new iron one was a little south of the older wooden one(which remained standing until the new one was completed) and was opened on 2nd of May, 1807.

The 1807 bridge was demolished (below) in 1913.

Which made way for the building of the present Town Bridge (see both pictues below) in the same year.

 Above: Building the present Town Bridge.

Below: The present Town Bridge soon after it's opening.