Sonning Backwater Bridges, Road bridge in Sonning Eye, England.
The Sonning Backwater Bridges consist of two concrete structures spanning the weir stream and millrace sections of the River Thames near Sonning.
Constructed in 1986, these bridges replaced older wooden structures that experienced problems with traction engines during the early twentieth century.
The bridges connect to the Mill at Sonning, a former watermill transformed into a dinner theater that stands on an island between river channels.
The B478 road across these bridges forms the sole Thames crossing point between Reading and Henley-on-Thames, leading to regular traffic congestion.
An artist named Impro installed a letterbox on one of the bridge buttresses in 2013, accessible only to people traveling by water.
Inception: 1986
Official opening: 1986
GPS coordinates: 51.47667,-0.91583
Latest update: September 23, 2025 16:46
The Deanery
395 m
Caversham Park
3 km
The Mill at Sonning
85 m
St Andrew's Church, Sonning
341 m
Sonning Bridge
168 m
Bull Inn
426 m
Palmer Park Stadium
3.1 km
Sonning Lock
494 m
St John the Evangelist Church, Woodley
2.6 km
Phillimore Island
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The Lynch
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Buck Ait
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Alder Moors
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Hallsmead Ait
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Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve
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Church of St Peter and St Paul, Shiplake
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Church of St Bartholomew
3.1 km
The Red Cow Public House
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Railway Bridge And Attached Accommodation Bridge Over River Kennet At SU 7306 7381
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Milestone At Ngr 7850 7605
3.1 km
Shiplake College, Water Tower Approximately 90 Metres North West
2.8 km
Shiplake Rise Farmhouse
2.6 km
Pump, South End Of Deanery Wall
450 m
The Flame by Neil and Auriol Lawson Baker (Reading)
1.5 km
Milestone, London Road; Earley Court, half way up hill near electrical power compound
2.2 km
Milestone, Thames Street; opp. the Deanery
318 mReviews
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