Monument record 0689600000 - N of Eton Rowing Lake (Areas 3 and 5): Foot Bridge

In 1995, an area of approximately 0.75 hectares was stripped by Oxford Archaeology to determine the extent of the former Thames Channel. Within the lower deposits two lines of vertical timbers were recorded, orientated at right angles to the channel and running most of its width. Two types of timber were observed - two rows of relatively large timbers (up to 0.5m in diameter) approximately in line with each other and two rows of relatively slight, paired timbers (generally 0.12 -0.15m diameter), offset by about 3m from those ar either end The timbers were spaced 3m part along each row and the rows were 2m apart. All of the timbers were roundwood, mostly fast-grown oak, whose bases had been trimmed to a point. Between the lines of post an horizontal wattle panel was found. A human femur and skull fragment were also recovered from the lower silts immediately downstream of the structure. Several sherds of prehsitoric pottery were also reocovered. Radio-carbon dating gave 1520 - 1220 BC. The structure is thus the earliest bridge found on theThames (3).