Geograph - photograph every grid square

Reigate Hill Footbridge

The original main road north out of Reigate, on what was then the main Brighton to London turnpike, crested the North Downs ridge via what is now Reigate Hill car park, the route leaving the current road just south of where the bridge now stands and rejoining it at what is now the junction with Gatton Bottom and Wray Lane, to the north of it.

In 1824, in order to ease the final hill and bend, a cutting was dug into the crest of the hill, severing the trackway that followed the ridge. An iron suspension bridge was carried across the cutting, to a design of William Constable, who the previous year had also built Reigate Tunnel, with the same purpose of easing the route to Brighton (see TQ2550 : Reigate Tunnel). The bridge was opened in 1825.

However, it eventually became unsafe and was replaced in 1910 by a reinforced concrete arch to a design by L G Mouchel and Partners, the pioneers of the use of reinforced concrete in the UK. It has a 97 foot span and weighs only 3 tons, the low weight being due to the narrowness of the beams enabled by the new technique.

It is notable as the earliest concrete footbridge in the country, and in recognition of this in 2002 it was listed as a grade II structure for listing particulars see Link.

Deterioration of the bridge led to its closure for six months from July 2011 during which time it was fully refurbished. Here it is seen after its reopening.

The track carried by the bridge now forms part of the North Downs Way.