The Woolston ferry, or 'Floating Bridge' crossing the River Itchen shortly before it was taken out of service. Photo taken from the Itchen Bridge, the permanent concrete structure that replaced it.

The Woolston ferry, or 'Floating Bridge' embarking passengers on the Southampton side of the River Itchen

The Woolston ferry, crossed the River Itchen in England between Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836^[1][2] until 11 June 1977^[3]. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Woolston is a district of Southampton, England, located on the eastern shore of the River Itchen. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England It was taken out of service when the new Itchen Bridge was opened. The Itchen Bridge is a Bridge over the River Itchen in Southampton, Hampshire.

Initially there was only one ferry, but this increased to two in 1881^[4].

Initially built and owned by the Floating Bridge Company, the Floating Bridges were sold to Southampton Corporation in 1934^[5]

By 1977 these ferries were operating side by side during the day and reducing to a single ferry late in the evening. There was a bus terminus at either side of the crossing, connecting foot passengers with the centre of Soutampton and the road to Portsmouth.

The Itchen ferry & Itchen Ferry village

The Woolston ferry has also been appropriately referred to as the Itchen ferry, meaning a ferry across the Itchen. Itchen ferry was a type of a small boat used for fishing and for ferrying passengers across the the River Itchen between Woolston and Southampton, prior

That name that was shared by the small village on the east bank of the River Itchen neighbouring Woolston. Woolston is a district of Southampton, England, located on the eastern shore of the River Itchen. A ferry service had operated from this point for centuries prior to 1836, using small boats, thus giving Itchen Ferry village its name and its livelihood. Itchen Ferry village was a small hamlet on the East bank of the River Itchen in Hampshire.

Itchen Ferry village was destroyed beyond repair during World War II. Itchen Ferry village was a small hamlet on the East bank of the River Itchen in Hampshire. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

A service that started out as the Itchen ferry thus evolved into the Woolston ferry. Itchen ferry was a type of a small boat used for fishing and for ferrying passengers across the the River Itchen between Woolston and Southampton, prior

Technology

The last Woolston ferry, No. 14, was a self-propelled pontoon that hauled itself across the river on cables, i. Pontoon may refer to Pontoon (game, the Australian/Malaysian casino game Pontoon (card game, a chiefly British version of the card game e. a cable ferry. A cable ferry or chain ferry is a means of water transportation by which a Ferry or other boat is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger there was no bridge number 13, for superstitious reasons.

When first introduced in 1836, the Floating Bridge took the form of a chain ferry powered by steam engines mounted on the shore ^[6]. A cable ferry or chain ferry is a means of water transportation by which a Ferry or other boat is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid. The ferry was designed by engineer James Meadows Rendel^[7]. James Meadows Rendel is a name common to several notable individuals including James Meadows Rendel (engineer, a British civil engineer James Meadows

Floating Bridge No. 3 was built by Joseph Hodkinson in 1862^[8]. Steam engines were mounted on-board.

By 1880, the ferry was still using chains to draw itself over the Itchen ^[9]. Cables are first seen in pictures of Foating Bridge No. 7, built in 1892 by Day, Summers and Co^[10]. This particular ferry sank in 1928, but was salvaged.

Floating Bridge No. 10 and all subsequent versions were powered by diesel engines^[11].

Floating Bridge

The Woolston ferry was most commonly known as the Floating Bridge during its 141 years of operation^[12]. It was an affectionate description of the technology rather than the name of the crossing itself. The term was first used by the engineer James Meadows Rendel, who had previously implemented a similar design of chain ferry at Torpoint and at Dartmouth in Cornwall. James Meadows Rendel FRS (December 1799 - 21 November 1856) was a British Civil engineer. A cable ferry or chain ferry is a means of water transportation by which a Ferry or other boat is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger Torpoint (Penntorr is a town in the far south east of Cornwall, England, separated from the city of Plymouth by a stretch of water referred to as the Dartmouth is a town in Devon in the south-west of England. It is a Tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar

No variant of the Woolston ferry took the form of a pontoon bridge spanning the whole width of the crossing, to which the term Floating Bridge is more widely applied and thought of today. A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a Bridge that floats on water supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic

Nevertheless, the term Floating Bridge has been commonly used in Southampton to refer to this ferry service and it is still in use there today, more than 30 years after the Woolston ferry was taken out of service. The terminology was immortalised in the 1956 painting entitled "The Floating Bridge" by L. S. Lowry^[13]

This use of the term Floating Bridge has also been applied to the Cowes Floating Bridge, which still provides a similar service in a similar situation just a few miles away, on the River Medina in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976 was an English Artist born on Barrett Street Stretford, Lancashire. The Cowes Floating Bridge is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the River Medina on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. For other places whose names are or contain "Medina" see Medina (disambiguation. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the

Associated Buildings

In 1820, whilst the crossing was still served by the small boats of Itchen Ferry village, a toll house was built ^[14]. Itchen Ferry village was a small hamlet on the East bank of the River Itchen in Hampshire. This became a Coffee Tavern when the new ticket office was built for the new 'Floating Bridge' in 1836^[15]. The old toll-house / Coffee Tavern building survived until 1970. The Ticket Office was demolished in 1954. ^[16].

Associated people

At one time, Police Officers were specifically attached to the 'Floating Bridge'. Two were required to be on board on every trip^[17].

James Warner, the Younger, a wealthy landowner from Botley was one of the original proprieters of the the Floating Bridge company ^[18].

Other associations and impacts on the surrounding area

St Johns Road in Hedge End was specifically constructed, starting in 1839, to serve the new Floating Bridge^[19]. Hedge End is a Town located in Hampshire in England. It is situated to the east of the City of Southampton, neighbouring the district of This project was initiated by four of the proprietors of the new Floating Bridge company, including James Warner the Younger of Botley and was undertaken at their own expense^[20]. At the time, there was competition between the Floating Bridge and the Northam Bridge^[21]. The Northam Bridge is a road Bridge across the River Itchen in Southampton, England, linking the suburbs of Northam and Both were toll bridges^[22]. By building a new road that linked the hamlet of Hedge End to the existing Portsmouth Road at Sholing, the proprietors of the Floating Bridge company were able to poach some of the passengers that would otherwise be forced to use Northam Bridge^[23]. Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Hedge End is a Town located in Hampshire in England. It is situated to the east of the City of Southampton, neighbouring the district of Sholing, previously Scholing is a district on the eastern side of the city of Southampton in southern England. The Northam Bridge is a road Bridge across the River Itchen in Southampton, England, linking the suburbs of Northam and This new road, cut through Botley Common and Netley Common^[24]. The inevitable further development alongside that new road further eroded the common land, and helped the hamlet of Hedge End to fully establish itself as a village in its own right. Common land (a common) is a piece of land owned by one person but over which other people can exercise certain traditional rights such as allowing their livestock to graze Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Hedge End is a Town located in Hampshire in England. It is situated to the east of the City of Southampton, neighbouring the district of A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City.

Other depictions of the Woolston Ferry

Woolston ferry was the title of a 1977 folk song, by Gutta Percha & the Balladeers

Links

The Floating Bridge

Woolston ferry folk song

References