Waterloo Bridge, the earliest of John Rennie’s three, and beyond measure the cheapest, is also commonly considered the finest. As to this there may perhaps be a question, some critics preferring London Bridge, or even Southwark, as grander if less ornate. The perfect level, too, of the roadway in the case of Waterloo, whilst the first of all merits from a practical point of view, somewhat narrows its artistic opportunities; whilst the uniformity of the arches is considered by some to give it too much the air of “a length out of a viaduct.” In all other respects it is the handsomest bridge across the Thames; consisting of nine elliptical arches 120 ft. in span and 35ft. in height, supported on piers 20 ft. wide at the spring of the arches, and surmounted by an open balustrade. It is not so wide as London Bridge by 11 ft., but is very nearly half as long again— 1,380 ft.—without the approaches, which are on the Middlesex side 370 ft, and on the Surrey side 766 ft. in length. It was opened in great state on the second anniversary of Waterloo, 18th June, 1817. NEAREST Railway Station, Temple; Omnibus Route, Strand; Cab Rank, Wellington-street.

The Swinford Tollbridge, half a mile from Eynsham, was opened in 1769. It's been described as the finest of the many bridges over the Thames - it was built in the golden age of Georgian architecture, when both design, materials and craftsmanship were all very good. It wasn't just for crossing the river of course - it was part of a long-distance route from London to Gloucester, Wales and Ireland (via Fishguard). To make the bridge worthwhile, other bits of road had to be improved.

The Eighteenth Century was a great time for road-building - this was the era of the Stagecoaches, highwaymen and turnpikes. Turnpike Trusts were organisations which built high-speed roads for carriages - and then charged the users tolls to get their money back (and make a profit). Before that, each Parish was responsible for its own roads - and since they couldn't charge anyone for their use, and they only covered a short distance, there wasn't much incentive to spend money on doing them up. The results were often impassable.

The Turnpikes changed all that; coach and carriage travel flourished; in the 1760s 24 stagecoaches passed through Burford in each direction every 24 hours. Although open to much abuse (high tolls and bad roads), the Turnpike system did generally produce much better roads - though also many complaints. But of course there were gaps - and the bit between Witney and Oxford via Eynsham was one of them. In order to avoid the river crossing at Eynsham and low-lying land through Botley, carriages used to go from Witney to Blaydon (along the A4095), and then turn south to Oxford past Campsfield. Horse-travellers though, used to take the short-cut via Eynsham and the ferry at Swinford - despite the hazards