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Halfpenny Bridge is a late eighteenth-century toll bridge spanning the River Thames between Berkshire and Oxfordshire near Sonning. Constructed in 1777 to replace an earlier ferry crossing, the bridge was designed by William Hayward and features a distinctive cast-iron arch structure characteristic of early iron bridge construction in Britain. The bridge derives its name from the halfpenny toll historically charged to foot passengers crossing it, a fee that remained in place into the twentieth century. It represents a significant example of industrial-age engineering and remains an important crossing point on the Thames, retaining much of its original ironwork and structural integrity.
Halfpenny Bridge is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003424. View the official record →
Halfpenny Bridge is a late eighteenth-century toll bridge spanning the River Thames between Berkshire and Oxfordshire near Sonning. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003424.
Halfpenny Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1003424.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Highworth circle 350m north east of Common Farm (6 km), Highworth circle 200m north east of Common Farm (6.2 km), Two Highworth circles 250m and 325m north of Eastrop Farm (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Halfpenny Bridge's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Halfpenny Bridge stands on Kellaways Formation And Oxford Clay Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Oxfordian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.