The Oxford Preservation Trust is hosting a community event to mark the 175th anniversary of the historic Rewley Road Swing Bridge in Oxford. The charity announced on 21 April 2026 that the public celebration will take place on 20 May 2026, highlighting the milestone of a structure that has served as a vital part of the city’s history since 1851.
Designed by the renowned Victorian engineer Robert Stephenson, the cast-iron bridge was originally built to allow trains to cross the Sheepwash Channel, linking the Oxford Canal with the River Thames. It remains one of only two moving bridges on the Thames, with London’s Tower Bridge being the other, and is recognised as the oldest surviving mechanism of its kind in Britain.
The bridge remained in use for railway traffic until 1984. Following its closure, the structure fell into disrepair and was added to the national Heritage at Risk Register in 2013. In recent years, the Oxford Preservation Trust, an independent charity established in 1927, led a major restoration project to protect the site. These efforts were recognised in 2022 when the bridge was removed from the heritage risk register, and the trust subsequently received the Railway Heritage Trust Conservation Award in 2023.
Residents are invited to attend the anniversary event as a drop-in session between 10:30am and 3:30pm on 20 May. The programme includes maintenance demonstrations led by the trust’s Green Spaces Manager, Hannah Brockwell, and volunteers, including former British Rail Area Manager David Mather. Additionally, trust Vice President Tom Hassall will lead two guided walks exploring the bridge and its surrounding area at 11am and 2pm. The trust notes that these guided walks require advance booking.
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