Barnes Railway Bridge

Barnes Railway Bridge, a Grade II listed structure, spans the River Thames between the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Hounslow. Positioned in a northwest-to-southeast direction at Barnes, this bridge carries the South Western Railway's Hounslow Loop Line and lies between Barnes Bridge and Chiswick stations. Notably, it's one of the few bridges in London that allows both pedestrian and rail use, alongside Hungerford Bridge, the Golden Jubilee Bridges, and Fulham Railway Bridge.

The original Barnes Bridge was constructed in 1849 and designed by civil engineer Joseph Locke. With two pairs of cast iron arch spans, it bore a strong resemblance to the original Richmond Railway Bridge, also a Locke design. The bridge opened to rail traffic on August 22, 1849, and served reliably for several decades. However, by the 1890s, concerns arose about the safety of cast iron bridges following the catastrophic collapse of a similar structure. As a result, a decision was made to build a replacement bridge alongside the original.

In the 1890s, a new, wider bridge was designed by Edward Andrews and constructed by Head Wrightson for the London & South Western Railway. This new structure, featuring three spans of wrought iron bowstring girders, was built next to Locke’s original bridge, which was left standing but no longer used for traffic. A pedestrian walkway was added to the new bridge, and the original span remains visible on the upstream side. In 1983, Barnes Bridge was given Grade II listed status. In recent years, the bridge has been temporarily closed to pedestrians during the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race to prevent overcrowding.

The bridge's history is closely tied to the expansion of the London and South Western Railways in the 1840s. The railway's extension from Nine Elms to Richmond and later to Windsor necessitated the construction of Barnes Bridge to connect the small village of Barnes to Chiswick and Hounslow. Joseph Locke, who designed several structures along the route, including Richmond Railway Bridge, was tasked with creating the crossing. His design required the embankment of the Thames to meet the statutory height above the high water mark, ensuring the passage of river traffic. Several properties along The Terrace, a street of Georgian houses, were demolished to make way for the bridge and its connecting lines.

Locke’s bridge, completed in 1849, featured cast iron arch spans supported by brick piers and carried a timber deck across the river. However, concerns about the longevity of cast iron structures led to the construction of a new bridge in the 1890s. This new bridge, built alongside the original, featured wrought iron bowstring girders and a pedestrian footpath, which remains in use today. In 2022, the bridge underwent urgent repairs, leading to a temporary closure to rail traffic.

Barnes Bridge has also become a recognizable annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race landmark. It's often noted that the crew leading at Barnes Bridge is likely to win the race. The bridge’s coat of arms even includes light and dark blue oars, symbolizing Cambridge and Oxford universities. In the early 20th century, the railway company sold tickets for access to the bridge during the race, offering a unique viewing point. However, in recent years, the bridge has been closed to pedestrians during the race for safety reasons.

The presence of Barnes Bridge has led to the diversion of the Thames Path, as there's limited space between the bridge and the river. In 2017, a planning application was submitted to build a pedestrian footbridge under the bridge to eliminate the need for this diversion. Additionally, there are plans to convert the disused 1849 span into a garden walkway, a project supported by Network Rail. In 2023, the Dukes Meadows Footbridge was opened underneath the northern span of Barnes Railway Bridge, allowing the Thames Path to run alongside the river without detours. The architects of this footbridge, Moxon, have also proposed a landscaped "green walkway" on the disused spans of the original bridge, connecting to the Thames Path.