TRAVEL BY RIVER
Travelling by road was a hazardous business until the
19th century, so where possible, people travelled by
river. Samuel Pepys took boats from Brentford on at
least two occasions in 1665: On 7 September, after
visiting Swakeley's House in Isleworth, its owner, Sir
Robert Viner carried me through a most pleasant country
to Brainford and there put me into my boat, and good
night. So I wrapped myself warm and by water got to
Woolwich about one in the morning. There would have
been a continual stream of traffic along the Thames
by Brentford; watermen transporting people up and down
the river in wherries-the taxis of the past. Heavy
goods, such as grin, building materials, market garden
produce and coal transported by lighter men in flat
bottomed barges which were towed or propelled by long
oars called sweeps, sailing barges, fishing boats,
regular market boats, pleasure boats. The Brentford
populace no doubt often caught a glimpse of sumptuous
velvets and rich brocades as royal personages glided
down the Thames in magnificent barges to places at
Kew Richmond, Hampton Court and Windsor.
Brentford Bridge
A wooden bridge across the River Brent was in place
by 1224 alongside the ford that crossed this Thames
tributary. By 1446 the wooden bridge had been replaced
by a three-arch stone bridge In the later17th century
when traffic increased dramatically, wheeled traffic
was encouraged to use the ford, so keeping the bridge
clear for foot passengers. In 1740 the bridge was taken
down and replaced with one constructed of brick as
well as stone. In 1824 James Clitherow laid the
foundation stone for the next 'substantial and commodious'
granite bridge. This took about three years to construct
and during that time traffic used a temporary wooden
structure along side. The single span arch built for
the old granite bridge of 1824 can be seen from the
towing path on either side of the rd. Brentford Bridge's
awkward angle to the road caused frequent bottlenecks
and many accidents, such as that reported in The Times
in 1832 when John Moody was thrown from the box seat of
his coach and killed when the coach struck the side of
the bridge. Brentford Bridge was widened in 1909; the
solid granite parapets being replaced with lighter
riveted iron parapets with extra space for a footpath
on each side. Two of the granite drums were given to
the Brentford Urban District Council which used them
to construct the Brentford
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Last Updated: 21st NOVEMBER 2005
