1250: New Bridge built.
 
1535: Leland -

I rode then 2 myles and half through fayre champayne ground, fruitfull of corn, to New Bridge on Isis. The ground there all about lyeth in low meadow, often overflown by rage of rayne. There is a long causeye of stone at each end of the bridge. The bridge itself has 6 grate arches of stone.

1644: The bridge was the scene of a [Civil War] skirmish on May 27th, 1644, in which Sir William Waller was repulsed, "retiring", says Taunt, "to Abingdon, where he revenged himself by destroying the beautiful market cross".

1692: Baskervile -

New Bridge on Bark sheir side has 17 Arches to ye main bridge.  The main bridge has 6 Arches & is about 53 paces or yards over On Oxford sheir side beyond ye main bridge are 28 arches.  The Causeway on Oxfordshire side is about 300 yards & ye Causway on Barkshire side are 373.
And in all over Causewys & Bridge about 726 yards Over 51 Arches, to vent water in great flouds.

Newbridge, Samuel Ireland
The Rose Revived on the left.

1791: Robert Mylne -

At New Bridge there are many serious obstructions.  The best arch for navigation, 17 feet 11 inches wide, is totally obstructed in low water time by the land above the bridge having grown by degrees [by the action of the Windrush] quite across the River towards the south, with trees thereon.  A straight cut should be made through this land or Eyet.
All the ribs and their impost stones should be cut out of the Arches, as they are no use, and damage barges greatly.  The third arch should have the pointed Arch cut away, and a new Flat one thrown over, on the same piers.

1801: Some (thankfully limited) repairs were done.
 

1909: The Stripling Thames, Fred Thacker -

A long mile upstream from Ridge's [Hart's Footbridge] lies grim old New Bridge, frowning down like a fortress upon your approach. It has six pointed arches of stone (seven, one told me locally, but I never could count them so), and a modern extension of several round arches for times of flood.
There is a strong indication of a cross socket over one of the piers on the western parapet.
It is new in name only, having been built about 1250 by the monks, it is said, of a former abbey here; and is popularly spoken of as the oldest surviving bridge over the Thames, though some object that it was called "New" in respect of Radcot Bridge, which would then be the most ancient.
It lies fifteen miles from Oxford, and has an inn at each end, the "Rose" in Oxfordshire (the "Old Rose Revived", says Taunt), and the "Maybush" in Berkshire.

Leland crossed here ... [quoted above]

Leland's "rage of rayne" has more than once stormed down upon me as I lay under my boat's canvas against the Maybush bank, peering out to watch the thunder wrack stalking across Berkshire on the wings of the strong Southwest.

John William Pitt, the Thames' very own William McGonagall -

This bridge has great antiquity, and this belies its name,
For like historic Radcot Bridge, it owes its present fame,
To having been the scene of a stormy battle long ago,
When Charles I was England's King, and Parliament his foe.
And when the King held Faringdon, a town some miles away,
The Roundheads were endeavouring to cross the bridge that day.

1929: A Thames Survey -

New Bridge carries the Witney - Abingdon road: it was built about 1250, probably by the monks of some neighbouring monastery, but it is possible that the original bridges at Windsor and at Radcot were in existence when New Bridge was built.
It appears from old records to have been largely reconstructed in the middle of the fifteenth century, and repaired in 1801. Leland in 1535 reported it as having six "great arches of stone"; also "lying in low meadows often overflowed with rage of rain". Today it has five pointed arches, including two with ribs.
There are cut-waters on the upper side only, carried up as refuges for pedestrians. It is approached on the Berkshire side from a nineteenth century flat stone bridge with small semi-circular arches over the flood-lands.
The 1894 flood-mark on the old bridge is near the crown of the arches and above the flood-level of the Rose Revived Inn on the Oxford bank. This inn, all in stone, composes well with the bridge; it has an annex of rough elm boards and grey asbestos roof that is not offensive. Immediately above the bridge the River Windrush joins the Thames from the Cotswolds.

We recommend that this bridge should be carefully preserved.

New Bridge, Doug Myers © 2005

I hope Doug had his waterproofs handy!

Newbridge, Ashley Bryant

A New New Bridge?

2006: Oxfordshire Bridge planning -

The last remaining substandard bridge on the principal road network is Newbridge carrying the A415 over the River Thames at Standlake. This bridge is scheduled to be replaced in 2009/10/11 because strengthening is not possible and work has started on identifying options that will preserve the historic bridge and provide an alternative crossing.

[ The old New Bridge is a vital part of our historical heritage. Whatever is done should safeguard that.
Map. When you look at the route of the A415 as it crosses the river you realise that it appears to be heading for a crossing 200 yards to the west of New Bridge but then both sides swerve east on a new alignment for New Bridge. Was there an old ford there? ]

I think the plans are now being formulated ready for a consultation. An enormous amount of work has gone into the planning, looking at the possible effects on a range of environmental considerations.

They have looked at six possible types of bridge which as far as I am concerned range from one which I strongly dislike (the bowstring girder), and one which I would I think find acceptable, (the Multispan Masonry Arch). The likely place seems to be a few hundred yards upstream of the old bridge, though there is an alternative position downstream and much closer to the old bridge. The details are here

I was surprised to see that the plans envisage one way single line traffic over the new bridge controlled by lights.

The planning website shows an impression of what the new bridge would look like from the old bridge, with the garden of the Maybush just visible on the left. Here is the bridge I dislike most:

And here the bridge I think most suitable of those discussed:

But don't take my word for it, click here to have a look at the plans yourself.

I would welcome some reassurance that the old bridge will be maintained as a historic site. (I am sure this will be the case - it is scheduled as an Ancient Monument - its just that if it ceased to receive the care given it by virtue of its being an essential part of the A415 how will it be paid for and maintained?)

That covers the matter as far as I am concerned as a river user - but of course local inhabitants have to live with the A415. The old weak bridge limited the size of lorries that could use it and therefore acted as a natural traffic limiter. If a new bridge has a higher weight limit then of course one can naturally assume there will be a higher volume of traffic. As a Thames user I want local residents to be happy and safe in their beautiful Thames villages.

Local residents have a website: http://a415oxford.ning.com/page/whats-it-all-about

1859: Landing at the Maybush –

Landing at the Maybush Inn, Newbridge, 1859.

The Maybush Inn is to the right in the photograph.

The Maybush Inn (right) and Newbridge, from upstream.

1956: Robert Gibbings Till I End My Song

When you’ve walked the two miles of towpath downstream from Shifford and passed through the small grey Thames Conservancy gate marked T.C.50, you need go no further, for already you are on the lawn of the Maybush at Newbridge and doors are open to welcome you.
  On one side of the house are the six pointed arches of the medieval bridge that spans not only the Thames but its tributary the Windrush almost at their junction;  on the other side are the seven rounded and more recent flood arches that carry away the rising waters.  You might be in a ship at sea in that house, for from every window you look out on to moving water, and day and night you hear the gurgling of the stream as it divides at the massive buttresses.

Map: Pill box

PRN 15723, 200 yards up Windrush on left bank.

(River Windrush)