{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox bridge |bridge_name= Harrington Bridge |image= Harrington Bridge,19 January 2008 (Geograph 662651).jpg |caption= Harrington Bridge from the Leicestershire river bank showing the river running much higher than normal |official_name= |also_known_as= |carries= Road traffic; {{UK road|B6540}} |crosses= River Trent |id= |design= |mainspan= <!-- {{convert|61|m|ft|0|lk=on}} --> |length= <!-- {{convert|244|m|ft|0}} --> |width= |clearance= |below= |traffic= |open= 1790 |closed= |toll= until 1882 |heritage =Grade II listed structure |coordinates = {{coord|52.8754|-1.3012|region:GB_scale:2000|display=inline,title}} }}

'''Harrington Bridge''' crosses the River Trent near Sawley in Derbyshire carrying the ''Tamworth Road'' (B6540) into Leicestershire. The stonework of the bridge dates from 1790, but the central section was replaced in 1905 after it was damaged by flood water. The central section is the only part of the bridge that is not a listed building.<ref name=list3/>

==History== Crossings at this point date at least from the 14th century when several timber bridges were built. Although one lasted 80&nbsp;years, they were all washed away and in 1321 a ferry at Sawley was initiated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sawleyhistoricalsociety.org.uk/history.htm |title=Sawley Historical Society, accessed January 2010 |access-date=8 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728145235/http://www.sawleyhistoricalsociety.org.uk/history.htm |archive-date=28 July 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The existing bridge dates from 1789 to 1790 and was designed by the bridge engineer and architect, Thomas Harrison of Lancaster.<ref>A biographical dictionary of civil engineers in Great Britain and Ireland. A. W. Skempton</ref> The new bridge was a toll bridge and everyone except locals living in Sawley or Hemington (in Leicestershire) were required to pay the toll. The lord of the manor and his servants were also specifically excluded from toll charges. In 1792, a ford to the west of the bridge became impassable as a result of a weir built at Redhill in Nottinghamshire which must have increased the income from tolls.<ref>[http://www.long-eaton.com/sawley.asp The Long Eaton and Sawley Archive], accessed January 2010</ref> The lord of the manor from 1779 was Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington.

left|thumb|An old postcard of the bridge

{{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Sawley Ferry Bridge, Trent Act 1788 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of Great Britain | long_title = An Act for building a Bridge over the River Trent at or near Sawley Ferry in the Counties of Derby and Leicester. | year = 1788 | citation = 28 Geo. 3. c. 80 | territorial_extent = Great Britain | royal_assent = 11 June 1788 | commencement = 27 November 1787{{efn|Start of session.}} | repeal_date = 21 May 1896 | repealing_legislation = Cavendish, Harrington and Willington Bridges (Transfer) Act 1896 | related_legislation = | status = Repealed | original_text = https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XrIuAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA565 | collapsed = yes }} The '''{{visible anchor|Sawley Ferry Bridge, Trent Act 1788}}''' (28 Geo. 3. c. 80) authorised the construction of the bridge.<ref>An Act for building a Bridge over the River Trent at or near Sawley Ferry in the Counties of Derby and Leicester. (28 Geo. 3. c. 80)</ref>

Harrington Bridge consisted of six arches of stone, which, with the approaches, were about {{convert|100|yd|m|0}} yards long, and {{convert|15|ft|m|0}} wide, with a toll house. The first bridge was washed down by the great flood before it was completed, previous to which here was a ford.<ref>Directory of Derbyshire. 1857. White.</ref> The bridge was erected by shareholders, at a cost of around £4,000 ({{Inflation|UK|4000|1788|r=-4|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} and tolls were levied to those crossing the bridge until 1882.

The bridge was damaged in floods during 1904. In 1906 a two-span riveted steel girder bridge was erected replacing the central section, retaining the original stone approach arches. The remaining parts of the original bridge are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated Grade&nbsp;II listed buildings.<ref name=list3>{{NHLE |num= 1064258|desc= Stone-built part of Harrington Bridge|access-date= 18 August 2013|mode=cs2}}</ref><ref name=list>{{NHLE |num= 1087977|desc= North section of Harrington Bridge|access-date= 18 August 2013|mode=cs2|fewer-links=yes}}</ref><ref>{{NHLE |num= 1204305|desc= Section of Harrington Bridge|access-date= 18 August 2013|mode=cs2|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

It now carries ''Tamworth Road'', the B6540, (formerly the A453) over the river providing a link between Leicestershire and Derbyshire. {{clr}}

==See also== *List of works by Thomas Harrison *Listed buildings in Sawley, Derbyshire

{{River item box |River = River Trent |upstream = {{UK road|M1||height=20}} |upsub = motorway |downstream = Clifton Bridge (Nottingham) |downsub = {{UK road|A52||height=16}} |thisis = Harrington Bridge <br> {{UK road|B6540}} |type = road crossing |table = start |location = SK471311 }}<!-- --> {{River item box |River = River Trent |upstream = {{UK road|M1||height=20}} |upsub = motorway |downstream = Trent Viaducts |downsub = {{rint|gb|rail|size=20|link=Midland Main Line}} |thisis = Harrington Bridge <br> {{UK road|B6540}} |table = end |location = }}

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources== *Inland Waterways Association, Aegre Region Newsletter 114, [http://issuu.com/waterwaysassoc/docs/aegre200605web114 page 26] July 2006 *Inland Waterways Association, Aegre Region Newsletter 115, [http://issuu.com/waterwaysassoc/docs/aegre200611web115 page 25] November 2006

==External links== {{commons category inline|Harrington Bridge}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Bridges in Leicestershire Category:Bridges in Derbyshire Category:Bridges across the River Trent Category:Grade II listed buildings in Leicestershire Category:Grade II listed buildings in Derbyshire Category:Bridges completed in 1790 Category:Thomas Harrison buildings Category:Former toll bridges in England Category:Grade II listed bridges Category:1790 establishments in England