I go past this bridge on my favourite walk.
You can just see The Cartford Inn in the trees on the right hand side if you look closely.
The interesting fact about this bridge is that it’s a toll bridge. From early morning until 10pm at night it’s manned by the family who live in the white toll house.
You pay your money, you can see the charges on the sign & you are allowed across. It’s a busy bridge too.....I think you can get a season ticket.
The owners of this bridge live in the Bristol area & come up once a year & stay with me.
Three good things:
1. For the duration of the lockdown the bridge is free to cross!
2. There is a book programme on the TV all week....I watched it tonight, they weren’t on long before the adverts came on! Hope it improves!
3. Lovely seeing all these young people on lockdown willing to do jobs on the farms picking asparagus etc....good for them & I hope they earn lots of money, they deserve it!
Seems a bit excessive to charge to go over a private bridge.. Auckland harbour bridge use to have a toll but they did away with that years ago.. . Alot of the travel and hospitallity worjers are getting jobs doing seasonal work.. a win win for every on as the overseas workers can't come in..
So interesting to learn about this bridge. We have toll bridges but they are all automated now. I used to love tossing my coins in the basket going through the tolls.
Well the upkeep & insurance will be a massive cost plus the money collectors will have to be paid so I suppose you have to charge. We used to have another busier longer bridge just down river but that was rebuilt & they don’t charge now. Not that many toll bridges about now.
An interesting series of images in your local area. They would need to charge just to pay the collectors. We have a couple of tunnels and roadways in the North Island that charge automatically on your number plate.
I've never heard of a bridge being private property but then they must have built it! In this sweet little white house, they can sit upstairs with the window wide and view all visitors!
@dide Yes we have a motorway system on the M6 round Birmingham that is a toll road plus Ireland have the same....London has a charge for going into the centre of the city...this little bridge seems quite simple in comparison but all works out the same in the snd!
@maggiemae I have no idea how they manage to own it...never liked to ask....someone comes out if the little White House , takes you money & gives you a ticket!
How very interesting. Like many others, I've never heard of a privately owned 'toll' bridge. But I guess if you have to pay for the upkeep, then you'd want other users to pay for the privilege. The Forth Road bridge used to be a Toll Bridge in Scotland, but that was done away with many, many years ago. I think the same for the bridge over to Skye (which I have never yet used ...). Another activity for post-lock down.
It's remarkable what we find to photograph when there's nothing (left?) to photograph. Yet we don't give up! Interesting position and story, thank you.
Well the upkeep & insurance will be a massive cost plus the money collectors will have to be paid so I suppose you have to charge. We used to have another busier longer bridge just down river but that was rebuilt & they don’t charge now. Not that many toll bridges about now.
Do you have to pay toll even if you live in the village and have to cross the bridge?