River Itchen floating bridge
Story of the River Itchen
The history of Southampton is dominated by the River Itchen. For
many years the only way for vehicles to cross the river was at
Northam, north of the town centre. A bridge had been built there in
1799, near the site of a Roman village. This was several miles
outside the town and was inconvenient for people travelling from
Southampton to the villages on the other bank of the river. The
solution was a floating bridge. Southampton in the 18th century
 Boats unloading at
Itchen |
For many years, dinghies and small sailing boats crossed the River
Itchen between the Chapel area of Southampton on the west bank, and
the village of Itchen Ferry on the east bank, now known as
Woolston. They provided a key link for people wanting to travel
between Southampton and Portsmouth.
The railway line from London reached the town in 1840 and
sparked a major development boom. Many new buildings were built,
including the first docks and thousands of workers came to the town
to work on the construction sites. New houses were built to
accommodate them; first in the Chapel area and then on the east
bank of the Itchen. Planning a bridge across the Itchen
The authorities knew that expansion of the town was coming. The
existing boats could not cope with the current traffic between the
town and Itchen Ferry so plans were announced for a new bridge
across the river at that point. The fishermen of Itchen Ferry
objected because they were fearful of losing their livelihood. The
Northam Bridge Company feared that they would lose their monopoly
on road traffic over the river. The Admiralty - the government
department that controlled naval affairs - also objected. They
claimed a bridge would interfere with the many ships that used the
Itchen. 
Ferry boat at Itchen |
Faced with this opposition, the Admiralty came up with the idea
of a floating bridge. Recently invented, a floating bridge was like
a large barge and could carry several vehicles, as well as
passengers. It was powered by steam and made of wood. Chains were
laid across the river bed; machinery on the bridge used the chains
to pull the bridge across the river. The floating bridge would cost £23,000 to build (over £1.2
million today) and tolls would be charged for vehicles and
passengers using it. This was to be a temporary measure, lasting
until opinion had changed and a proper bridge could be built.
Unknown to them, the floating bridge was to last for over 140
years.
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