Wilford Toll Bridge

Wilford Toll Bridge (also known as the Halfpenny bridge) is a bridge to the west of Nottingham that crosses the River Trent. It is now a free to use footbridge.

History

There has been a crossing here since the 14th Century, when a ferry was used to connect the then village of Wilford with the commercial centre of Nottingham.

In 1863, the ferry ceased, and a temporary footbridge was employed during the construction of the proper bridge, which took 7 years, finally opening in 1870. This was meant to take traffic off the old Trent Bridge, which was suffering from wear, although a new Trent Bridge was built soon after, and the toll revenue at Wilford was less than expected. The tolls at the time of opening were 6d for stagecoaches, and a halfpenny for pedestrians.

In 1974, after 5 years in council control (previously it had belonged to the local Clifton family), the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic. The central spans had become too weak and had to be demolished. A narrower footbridge was built to span the river, although the old abutments are still extant and used by the current metal bridge.

Widening

During 2014 and 2015, the bridge was widened to achieve the extension of the Nottingham Tram (NET) phase 2. This route runs from the the railway station, through the Meadows, and on to Wilford and Clifton via the bridge.

Listing

• The toll house has been listed as Grade 2 under 1255202
• The gateways and screens at the north end of the bridge have been listed as Grade 2 under 1270416 along with the telephone box: 1255203

Links

• NET website showing the route over the bridge