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<title>Radcot Bridge</title>

<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Radcot Bridge</span></span>

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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For the 1387 battle, see <a href="Battle_of_Radcot_Bridge" title="Battle of Radcot Bridge">Battle of Radcot Bridge</a>.</div>

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</style><table class="infobox vcard"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above"><div style="display:inline;" class="fn org">Radcot Bridge</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"></span><div class="infobox-caption">Radcot Bridge</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="Geographic_coordinate_system" title="Geographic coordinate system">Coordinates</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="geo-inline"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1156832818">

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</style><span class=" nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="geo:51.693081,-1.588644"><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">51°41′35″N</span> <span class="longitude">1°35′19″W</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">51.693081°N 1.588644°W</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">51.693081; -1.588644</span></span></span></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Carries</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="A4095_road_(Great_Britain)" class="mw-redirect" title="A4095 road (Great Britain)">A4095 road</a>, <a href="Thames_Path" title="Thames Path">Thames Path</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Crosses</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="River_Thames" title="River Thames">River Thames</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Locale</th><td class="infobox-data label">Radcot, <a href="Oxfordshire" title="Oxfordshire">Oxfordshire</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Maintained by</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="Oxfordshire_County_Council" title="Oxfordshire County Council">Oxfordshire County Council</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Heritage status</th><td class="infobox-data category"><a href="Listed_building" title="Listed building">Grade I listed</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #efefef;">Characteristics</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Design</th><td class="infobox-data category">arch</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Material</th><td class="infobox-data category">Stone</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Height</th><td class="infobox-data">11 feet 4 inches (3.45 m)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Load limit</th><td class="infobox-data">18 tonnes (18 long tons; 20 short tons)</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #efefef;">History</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Opened</th><td class="infobox-data"><i>circa</i> 1200</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #efefef;">Location</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"></td></tr></tbody></table>

<p><b>Radcot Bridge</b> is a crossing of the <a href="River_Thames" title="River Thames">Thames</a> in England, south of <a href="Radcot" class="mw-redirect" title="Radcot">Radcot</a>, <a href="Oxfordshire" title="Oxfordshire">Oxfordshire</a>, and north of <a href="Faringdon" title="Faringdon">Faringdon</a>, Oxfordshire which is in the district of that county that was in Berkshire.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>n 1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It carries the <a href="A4095_road_(Great_Britain)" class="mw-redirect" title="A4095 road (Great Britain)">A4095 road</a> across the reach above <a href="Radcot_Lock" title="Radcot Lock">Radcot Lock</a>. In many analyses it is a series of three bridges – before the northern one is reached, mainly to the east, is the smaller island hosting the Swan Inn. On the main north bank are slight earthworks forming a large square in which further remains have been found of <a href="Empress_Matilda" title="Empress Matilda">Matilda</a>'s Castle and some <a href="Roman_Britain" title="Roman Britain">Roman</a> artefacts.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="The_bridges">The bridges</h2></div>

<p>Three stone bridges cross this part of the upper Thames valley: from south to north, these are: <b>Old Radcot Bridge</b>,<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the <b>Canal Bridge</b> (<i><a href="Listed_building" title="Listed building">listed</a></i> as part of Radcot Bridge)<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and <b>Pidnell Bridge</b> which is close to the main building on the smaller island, 'Ye Olde Swan' Hotel. The latter is confusingly furthest from Pidnell Farm – the nearest farmstead or hamlet in Faringdon <a href="Civil_parish" title="Civil parish">parish</a>.

</p><p>Originally built across the Thames, Old Radcot Bridge now crosses only about a third of the local river flow since the construction, in 1787, of a new cut for the <a href="Thames_and_Severn_Canal" title="Thames and Severn Canal">Thames and Severn Canal</a>. The Canal Bridge was built at the same time. Radcot Bridge is the oldest standing bridge on the Thames, the core having been built, with pointed arches of <a href="Taynton%2C_Oxfordshire" title="Taynton, Oxfordshire">Taynton</a> stone, around 1200. The <a href="Cistercian" class="mw-redirect" title="Cistercian">Cistercian</a> <a href="Monk" title="Monk">monks</a> of Saint Mary at <a href="C%C3%AEteaux" class="mw-redirect" title="Cîteaux">Cîteaux</a> in <a href="Normandy" title="Normandy">Normandy</a> were granted land for the purpose by <a href="John_of_England" class="mw-redirect" title="John of England">King John</a>.

</p><p>The larger island which is crossed has a rectangular cottage (named after the bridge) with one side almost against the road, and which is a <a href="Listed_building" title="Listed building">listed building</a>.;<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> on the other side of the road is <a href="Pillbox_(military)" title="Pillbox (military)">pillbox</a> from <a href="World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, part of the <a href="GHQ_Line" title="GHQ Line">GHQ Line</a>.

</p><p>Much of the structure was torn down during the <a href="Radcot_Bridge_(Battle)" class="mw-redirect" title="Radcot Bridge (Battle)">Battle of Radcot Bridge</a> on 19 December 1387 between troops loyal to <a href="Richard_II_of_England" title="Richard II of England">Richard II</a>, led by court favourite <a href="Robert_de_Vere%2C_Duke_of_Ireland" class="mw-redirect" title="Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland">Robert de Vere</a>, and an army captained by Richard's cousin Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby – the future <a href="Henry_IV_of_England" title="Henry IV of England">Henry IV</a>. The bridge was rebuilt in 1393. It was severely damaged during the latter part of the <a href="Wars_of_the_Roses" title="Wars of the Roses">Wars of the Roses</a>, and was largely rebuilt as it appears today, with a flattened centre arch.

</p><p>Radcot Bridge became a toll bridge and its wharf was commercially important as the highest shipping point on the Thames, with the junction of the <a href="Thames_and_Severn_Canal" title="Thames and Severn Canal">Severn-Thames canal</a> not far away at <a href="Lechlade" title="Lechlade">Lechlade</a>, <a href="Gloucestershire" title="Gloucestershire">Gloucestershire</a>. During this era of the <a href="Industrial_Revolution_in_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom">Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom</a> the local towpath would also have become heavily worn year-round for the first time.

</p><p>The longer <a href="Thames_Path" title="Thames Path">Thames Path</a>, variants of which were first made in the 19th century, crosses the bridges.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Matilda's_Castle">Matilda's Castle</h2></div>

<p><i><a href="Time_Team" title="Time Team">Time Team</a></i>, in a programme first broadcast on 15 February 2009, excavated Matilda's Castle in the summer of 2008. They found that visible earthworks near Radcot Bridge dated from the 17th-century <a href="English_Civil_War" title="English Civil War">English Civil War</a>, when Parliamentary forces built them to support cannon used to bombard Royalist forces garrisoned in Radcot House. Underneath some of these earthworks were remains of a square <a href="Normans" title="Normans">Norman</a> <a href="Keep" title="Keep">keep</a> dating from the time of the 12th-century <a href="The_Anarchy" title="The Anarchy">Anarchy</a>. Evidence suggested the tower was pulled down a century after it was built. Its remains were further damaged by later constructions on the site. Some Roman remains, possibly from a villa, were also found.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p>

<ul><li><a href="Crossings_of_the_River_Thames" class="mw-redirect" title="Crossings of the River Thames">Crossings of the River Thames</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes_and_references">Notes and references</h2></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Footnotes">Footnotes</h3></div>

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<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="Vale_of_White_Horse" title="Vale of White Horse">Vale of White Horse</a></span>

</li>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3></div>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFHistoric_England1048414" class="citation web cs1"><a href="Historic_England" title="Historic England">Historic England</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1048414?section=official-list-entry">"Old Radcot Bridge or Radcot Bridge, Grade I, that part in Great Faringdon parish (1048414)"</a>. <i><a href="National_Heritage_List_for_England" title="National Heritage List for England">National Heritage List for England</a></i>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHistoric_England1053405" class="citation web cs1"><a href="Historic_England" title="Historic England">Historic England</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1053405?section=official-list-entry">"Old Radcot Bridge or Radcot Bridge, Grade I, that part in Radcot and Grafton parish (1053405)"</a>. <i><a href="National_Heritage_List_for_England" title="National Heritage List for England">National Heritage List for England</a></i>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHistoric_England1283582" class="citation web cs1"><a href="Historic_England" title="Historic England">Historic England</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1283582?section=official-list-entry">"Canal Bridge or Radcot Bridge, Grade II (1283582)"</a>. <i><a href="National_Heritage_List_for_England" title="National Heritage List for England">National Heritage List for England</a></i>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHistoric_England1367743" class="citation web cs1"><a href="Historic_England" title="Historic England">Historic England</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1367743?section=official-list-entry">"Radcot Bridge Cottage (1367743)"</a>. <i><a href="National_Heritage_List_for_England" title="National Heritage List for England">National Heritage List for England</a></i>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2009/radcot/radcot-found.html">"Time Team Radcot page"</a>. Channel 4<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 February</span> 2009</span>.</cite></span>

</li>

</ol></div></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2></div>

<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFThompson2009" class="citation report cs1">Thompson, Steve (2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/issue.xhtml?recordId=1143909&recordType=GreyLitSeries">Radcot, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results</a> (Report). Wessex Archaeology. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.5284%2F1043744">10.5284/1043744</a></span>.</cite></li>

<li><cite id="CITEREFToynbee1949" class="citation journal cs1">Toynbee, M.R. (1949). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://oxoniensia.org/volumes/1949/toynbee.pdf">"Radcot Bridge and Newbridge"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Oxoniensia</i>. <b>XIV</b>. <a href="Oxfordshire_Architectural_and_Historical_Society" title="Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society">Oxford Architectural and Historical Society</a>: <span class="nowrap">46–</span>52<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">27 October</span> 2013</span>.</cite></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Radcot_Bridge" class="extiw external" title="commons:Category:Radcot Bridge">Radcot Bridge</a></span>.</div></div>

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<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20051126032423/http://faringdon.org/hyradcot.htm">Faringdon Online: Radcot Bridge</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060317220716/http://www.wantage.com/museum/Local_History/New%20Bridge.pdf">New Bridge — Oldest Bridge over the Thames</a>, <a href="Vale_and_Downland_Museum" title="Vale and Downland Museum">Vale and Downland Museum</a></li></ul>

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