Staines bridge

Staines Bridge
Staines Bridge from upstream
Carries	A308 road
Crosses	River Thames
Locale	Staines-upon-Thames
Characteristics
Design	Arch
Material	Stone
Height	19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m)
Number of spans	3
Piers in water	2
History
Designer	George Rennie
Opened	1832

Staines Bridge is a road bridge running in a south-west to north-east direction across the River Thames in Surrey. It is on the modern A308 road and links the boroughs of Spelthorne and Runnymede at Staines-upon-Thames and Egham Hythe.

The bridge crosses the Thames on the reach between Penton Hook Lock and Bell Weir Lock, and is close to and upstream of the main mouth of the River Colne, a tributary. The bridge carries the Thames Path across the river.

In Roman times, Staines-upon-Thames lay on the Devil's Highway, an important road connecting the provincial capital Londinium (London) with points west via Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester). The site's Latin name was Pontes ("The Bridges"), implying that there was more than one bridge. It is believed that these bridges traversed Church Island.

A wooden bridge was referenced as early as 1228, and required regular repair. It was put out of use during the Civil War. Under an act of 1791, a stone bridge was built a little way downstream of the old one, the latter being retained. The central arch of this bridge cracked almost immediately and a third bridge of iron was completed in 1803. This failed and a fourth bridge, also of iron was opened in 1807. The old wooden bridge, which had continued in service, was then pulled down. The fifth and present bridge with three arches in white granite was designed by George Rennie. Construction started in 1827, and it was opened in 1832.