1910: Chertsey in
Thames Villages by Charles Harper.
1299: Sibille, ferrywoman of Chertsey,
and her six men, were paid three shillings for 'wafting' the King
and his family over the Thames on his way to Kingston
1340s: A bridge may have been built by John de Rutherwyke -
unwearied in building stone bridges
1368: A ferry named Redwynd.
1530: Leland –
A goodly bridg of Timber newly repairid
1580: Chertsey Bridge seriously in need of repair. The bridge was 210 ft. in length over the
water, and 15ft. in breadth between the rails with 7 ft. additional on each
side beyond the rails. It was divided into 23 bays.
1586: Camden's Britannia -
[The Thames] after leaving Berks washes Chertsey, which Bede calls "Cerotus' Isle", now scarce a peninsula except in winter floods.
Copley (1977) comments - Cerotus was a British personal name.
The Old English "ey" was "island, well watered land" [presumably related to "eyot"]
Chertsey Abbey, a plan of the demesne from the Exchequer Ledger
Chertsey Abbey
1632: John Tayler – like the work of a left handed man …
1774: “Inconvenient and dangerous”
1780: Robert Whitworth designed a new bridge.
The old bridge was sold for £120.
1792: Picturesque Views on the River Thames, By Samuel Ireland, Chertsey Bridge -
CHERTSEY bridge is a handsome plain
structure, begun in 1780, and finished in 1784
under the direction of Mr. Payne, the architect,
whose works make no inconsiderable
figure on the river Thames.
It consists of seven arches, each formed of the segment of a
circle. It is built of Purbeck stone, at an
expence of about thirteen thousand pounds,
which falls equally upon the counties of Surrey
and Middlesex. The original contract
was for seven thousand five hundred pounds.
Chertsey Bridge, Samuel Ireland, 1792
1793: Chertsey Bridge -
View of Chertsey Bridge from Wooburn Farm June 1, 1793
J. Farington R.A. delt. J.C. Stadler sculpt.
(Published) by J. & J. Boydell, Shakespeare Gally.
Pall Mall & (No. 90) Cheapside London
London: To Thirty Miles Extent, from an Actual Perambulation By David Hughson, 1808 -
Over the river Thames, from Chertsey to the opposite
shore at Littleton, is a very noble bridge, built with Purbeck stone, at the joint expence of the counties of Surrey
and Middlesex, toll free, for the erection of which an act
of parliament was obtained.
It consists of seven arches;
was begun by Mr. Brown, of Richmond, in 1783, and
finished in 1785, from the architectural designs of James
Payne, Esq. of Says, near Chertsey.
Pedestrian, Tour, (1829), says that the contractor -
having completed the number of arches he was engaged for, and they not reaching the Surrey shore, that county was obliged at great expense, to supply the deficiency
1859: Woodcut –
Chertsey Bridge in 1859
1870: Chertsey Bridge, Henry Taunt -
Chertsey Bridge, Taunt, 1870
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT1459
1890: Chertsey Bridge, Francis Frith
1890: Chertsey Bridge, Francis Frith
1894: Bridge partly rebuilt.
1904: Chertsey Bridge, Francis Frith -
1904: Chertsey Bridge, Francis Frith
1999: Photo -
Chertsey Bridge, 1999
Chertsey Bridge, Doug Myers © 2005
2008: Doug Myers writes -
Since completing my project to paint all the bridges over the river Thames in 2006, I have been re-visiting some of them and have noticed that the surroundings in many cases have changed almost beyond recognition in a very short time.
The first one to come to my attention is Chertsey Bridge, probably because it is very close to my home in Weybridge. As you can see from the pictures Bates boatyard on the left has now been demolished and a new residential development by Laing Homes now occupies the site and is still partly under construction.
Chertsey Bridge, Doug Myers © 2008
Whilst I am sad to see any riparian business disappear it is good to know that there are now many more people in a position to appreciate the river at this picturesque spot and perhaps become members of the River Thames Society in due course. These lucky residents now have a beautiful view of the historic nine arched bridge with its interesting light standards which are very distinctive at night.
The bridge was designed by James Paine and constructed in 1780, it retains the original design despite necessary strengthening at various times. As you will notice from the illustrations the painting (1996) was done in the summer when the river was running normally, the photograph was taken in mid-January 2008 when the river was in flood – this explains the different heights of the arches!
On the south west corner of the bridge is a bronze statue of local heroine Blanche Heriot who, in the 15th century, saved her lover by hanging on to the clapper of the bell at Chertsey Abbey thus preventing it from ringing the curfew which would signal his execution. Fortunately a royal messenger arrived with his pardon before the bell could ring again, no doubt they lived happily ever after.
On the north east corner of the bridge stands the Kingfisher pub which despite its ‘Olde Worlde’ look is in fact newly built. Much to the relief of local people it replaced a night club which was painted bright pink with black spots!
The other two corners are occupied by a hotel/restaurant complex (NW) and the pleasant recreation area of Chertsey Meads (SE) with its resident cows sheep horses etc.
1890: View from Chertsey Bridge, Francis Frith
1890: View from Chertsey Bridge, Francis Frith
The Boathouse PH
Immediately above Chertsey Bridge on cut in Right bank
Chertsey Camp Site
right bank below weir, Chertsey Camping Club site, Bridge Road, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8JX
Tel: 01932 562405
Gr.Ref: TQ 052667
(Not on the Thames Path); 200 Pitches; All year.
Abbey River
Right bank just below weir
Upstream to CHERTSEY LOCK
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS