44-736: Cobham may refer to: Places [ edit ] Cobham, Kent , England Cobham, Surrey , England Cobham, South Australia , a former town in Australia Cobham, Albemarle County, Virginia , United States Cobham, Surry County, Virginia , United States Aviation [ edit ] Cobham (company) , a British aerospace manufacturing company Cobham Aviation Services (disambiguation) , an Australian airline People [ edit ] Cobham (surname) Baron Cobham Viscount Cobham Other [ edit ] Cobham Intermediate School , Burnside, New Zealand Cobham Oval ,
88-541: A branch line from its nearby railway line at Strood across the Medway to its own Rochester station, Rochester Common , opened on 20 July 1891, and its own Chatham station, Chatham Central , opened 1 March 1892, for which it built the massive second railway bridge over the Medway. The two rivals merged under a Joint Managing Committee in 1899 to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway , and subsequent rationalisation saw
132-576: A cost of £80 million – and was opened by the Princess Royal on 12 June 1996. The trust has also made grants for local good causes ranging from a few thousand pounds to more significant grants. In particular, contributions have been made to the restoration of many important historic buildings in Kent. In the 1880s, the Trust founded Rochester and Maidstone Girls Grammar schools and made large endowments to
176-494: A cricket pitch in Whangarei, New Zealand Cobham Training Centre , Academy of London-based Chelsea Football Club Cobham's Cubs , a political faction in the eighteenth century See also [ edit ] Chobham (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Cobham . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
220-556: A drawbridge in bay 5, and gothic style stone arches for the other ten. Above these was the bridge deck with parapets. This was paved in Kentish ragstone. The Wardens and Assistants of Rochester Bridge considered three proposals when the Medieval bridge needed to be replaced: a stone bridge, a suspension bridge and the cast iron bridge that was eventually built. The navy required a passage so masted vessels could proceed up stream. The new bridge
264-525: A few miles downstream. The tunnel was operated under a 999-year lease first by Kent County Council and then Medway Council upon its formation. In 2008 the council purchased the freehold of the tunnel. It was the first immersed tube tunnel to be built in England and only the second of this type in the UK, the other being at Conwy , North Wales. The 720 metres (2,360 ft) long tunnel took four years to complete, at
308-617: A one-time farm of 360 acres (147 ha), which has been turned into a greenspace area by the Forestry Commission . The village was also linked to its namesake HMS Cobham , a Ham-class minesweeper which was an active Royal Navy vessel between 1953 and 1966. Cobham is served by Sole Street railway station , on the Chatham Main Line which runs from Gillingham to London Victoria via Bromley South . Cobham has associations with Charles Dickens , who used to walk out to
352-535: A private boarding school for girls with a co-educational sixth form, which retains 150 acres (61 hectares) of the ancient estate. In the former deer park of Cobham Hall is the Darnley Mausoleum , a pyramid-topped structure built in 1786 as ordered by the will of the 3rd Earl of Darnley. A 15th century hall house in Sole Street, that was threatened with demolition in 1970, has been dismantled and re-erected at
396-653: Is a charity with thirteen trustees, sometimes known locally as the Bridge Wardens. Six are nominated by the local councils and seven are appointed by the trust. The trust in its current form was re-established by an act of Parliament, the Rochester Bridge Act 1908 ( 8 Edw. 7 . c. lvii), and is regulated by the Charity Commission. The trust also contributed to the construction of the Medway Tunnel (1996),
440-499: Is a village and civil parish in the borough of Gravesham in Kent , England. The village is located 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Gravesend , and just south of Watling Street , the Roman road from Dover to London. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Sole Street, covers an area of 1,240 hectares (3,100 acres) and had a population of 1,469 at the 2011 census, increasing from 1,328 at
484-431: Is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. The Earls of Darnley left Cobham Hall in 1957; since 1962 it has been Cobham Hall School, a private boarding school for girls; it opens to the public on some occasions in the year. In addition to Cobham Hall School, there is a local primary school, Cobham Primary School. There are two areas of open space in the parish: Cobham Park, which includes extensive woodlands; and Jeskyns ,
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#1732851211844528-419: The 10th century . The largest and most notable of the manors was Cobham or Cobham Hall, which mainly consisted of the manor house, Cobham Hall , and the private park or demesne attached to the house; there is no record of any manorial courts being held before the 16th century, and the lands under rent to the lord of the manor were not significant so at least one court was shared with the other manors within
572-658: The Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School in Rochester and the Maidstone Boys Grammar School . The Bridge Chapel was built in 1383. It was dissolved under the Charities Act in 1548 and was used as a storeroom for bridge materials, a house, and later a pub and as a fruit shop. Over time it deteriorated and lost its roof. It was restored in the 1930s and used as a meeting room and exhibition space. Once
616-572: The Wardens and Commonalty of Rochester Bridge . The two elected wardens were appointed under letters patent from Richard II to own land and use the income for the bridge. The Wardens and Commonalty received grants of land from Henry IV and Henry V , as well as money from other benefactors, including Richard Whittington . The trust was able to maintain the bridge using income from property and investments, and materials from its own woods and quarries. A scheme of improvements were carried out from 1792 to widen
660-538: The Weald and Downland Living Museum . The parish church is 13th century and is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. It contains monumental brasses , of which William Belcher in his Kentish Brasses (1905) stated: "No church in the world possesses such a splendid series as the nineteen brasses in Cobham Church, ranging in date between 1298 and 1529." Thirteen of the brasses belong to the years 1320–1529 and commemorate members of
704-581: The 2001 census. Since 1970 the village has been in a conservation area which aims to preserve the historic character and appearance of the area. Cobham parish has had several manors; one of which, Henhurst, was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and in the Textus Roffensis as being part of the Rochester Bridge charter of c.975, so there has been a settlement in the parish since at least
748-578: The 8th Earl of Darnley in 1900, taking over the family home of Cobham Hall. Author Ralph Arnold lived at Meadow House, which is described in his book A Yeoman of Kent (1949). Rochester Bridge Rochester Bridge in Rochester, Medway was for centuries the lowest fixed crossing of the River Medway in South East England . There have been several generations of bridge at this spot, and
792-537: The Brooke and Cobham families. The Brooke Tomb contains alabaster effigies of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham (1497–1558) and his wife Ann Bray. To the immediate south of the church is the building known as Cobham College , now an almshouse , which originally housed the five priests employed by the chantry founded in 1362 by John Cobham, 3rd Baron Cobham . Another church in the ecclesiastical parish , in Luddesdown ,
836-624: The New Bridge, was opened immediately next to the first, to increase capacity. It was opened on 15 April 1970, by Princess Margaret . At the same time, the Service Bridge was built between the Old Bridge and the New Bridge, to carry gas, electrical, water, sewage and communication services. All three bridges underwent major maintenance and complete refurbishment, completed in December 2021. As for all
880-640: The Rochester Bridge Trust, the modern incarnation of the Wardens and Commonalty of Rochester Bridge, which was established by King Richard II 's letters patent in 1399. The trust still owns some of the land gifted to the wardens and used the income derived from the endowments to pay for the new bridges in 1856 (now the westbound lanes of the A2) and 1970 (eastbound A2) as well as meeting all the costs of maintaining those bridges and part of Rochester Esplanade. The trust
924-473: The Roman foundations when they were building the current Old Bridge, they found that stone foundations had been used, probably to support a wooden deck. The piers of the Roman bridge survived well into the Middle Ages, supporting a timber deck with three beams of cross-planking. In 1264, Simon de Montfort besieged the gate house and set fire to the bridge as part of his successful attempt to take Rochester. In
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#1732851211844968-535: The SER's Chatham Central branch closed on 1 October 1911, three years before World War I . In 1927 the Chatham Mainline was diverted to use the more substantial second railway bridge, and the original LCDR railway bridge was left unused for decades. The foundations of the bridge were eventually repurposed for the second road bridge which opened in 1970. The road bridges and the services bridge continue to be maintained by
1012-422: The bridge relatively low and meant that passing traffic at high tide had to navigate to line up with the top of the arch or risk striking the bridge. Not every ship was successful and many collisions occurred. These took their toll on the bridge and an inspection in 1909 showed fractured ribs and missing bolts. After a relatively short life a new bridge was needed. From around 1908 to 1932 the bridge also carried
1056-408: The bridge was in a dangerous state for 3 weeks and a boat had to be hired as a ferry. In the winter of 1380–81 a large proportion of the bridge was carried away by the combined forces of meltwater and ice. In 1382, the bridge being impassible" a commission was appointed to enquire as to those responsible for its maintenance. The commission included John de Cobham who as supervisor of repairs ensured
1100-409: The bridge was passable by the following year. The building of a stone bridge was organised and funded by Sir John de Cobham and Sir Robert Knolles (or Knollys), finished in 1391. It was located about 100 yards upstream of the Roman bridge and had 11 arches and a total length of 570 feet (170 m) It was 14 feet (4.3 m) wide. To ensure the maintenance of their new bridge, the two men instituted
1144-679: The current "bridge" is in fact four separate bridges: the Old Bridge and New Bridge carrying the A2 road , Railway Bridge carrying the railway and the Service Bridge carrying service pipes and cables. The bridge links the towns of Strood and Rochester in Medway . All except the railway bridge are owned and maintained by the Rochester Bridge Trust . The Romans built a bridge across the River Medway as part of Watling Street , carrying traffic from London to Dover (the port for Continental Europe ). This
1188-515: The custom was stopped that Gravesend paid to the lords of Cobham a yearly sum (a pontage ) for the use of the landing stage on the River Thames . Cobham Hall was the former home of the Earls of Darnley : its gardens were designed by Humphry Repton . The surviving grade I listed manor house is one of the largest and most important houses in Kent. Today the building houses Cobham Hall School ,
1232-454: The latter part of the 14th century the bridge consisted of nine stone piers supporting a wooden superstructure. Administratively the responsibility for bridge was divided amongst local landowners and institutions. This worked reasonably well, though sometimes those liable refused to co-operate and had goods seized. In 1311 for instance the King's bailiff, William Mot, seized a horse and five cows from
1276-436: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cobham&oldid=1132568361 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Cobham, Kent Cobham ( / ˈ k ɒ b əm / )
1320-439: The parish. The parish of Cobham was originally within the ancient hundred of Shamwell. In 1132, Henry I gave Cobham church, which was then an annex of the church at Shorne , to Bermondsey Priory (later to become Bermondsey Abbey ). The Cobham family was established here before the reign of King John (who reigned from 1199). The lords of the manor of Cobham were Hereditary High Stewards of nearby Gravesend ; in 1692
1364-533: The riverbed into the bedrock, using an innovative method of pneumatic caissons . On the Strood side of the bridge was the Ship's Passage: a channel 40 feet (12 m) in width. It was spanned by a swing bridge consisting of six wrought iron girders turning on a cast iron roller path, 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter with 30 cast iron rollers. The centre wrought iron screw was 11 inches (28 cm) in diameter. The swing bridge
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1408-544: The roadway of the bridge, to the plans of the engineer Daniel Asher Alexander . The two central arches merged into one in 1824 to provide a wider channel for shipping, under the supervision first of John Rennie the Elder , and completed by Thomas Telford . In 1856, when modern river traffic demanded a new structure the medieval bridge was demolished with the help of the Royal Engineers . Sir William Cubitt 's cast iron bridge
1452-410: The tenants of Westerham, however Richard Trewe and Hamon le Brun "rescued" the animals back and Richard "beat the said William". Despite partial rebuilding, the bridge fell into disrepair and collapses occurred with the worrying frequency of about once a year. In 1339 the bridge was down for 24 weeks, then the first and third piers were found to be decayed (repairs estimated at £19 and £8 6s 8d). In 1361
1496-567: The tidal River Medway was 560 feet (170 m) long and 14 feet (4.3 m) wide. The piers were built on protective platforms called starlings , each about 40 feet (12 m) wide and 90 feet (27 m) long with cutwaters or pointed ends upstream and downstream to deflect the current. They were constructed from 10,000 piles that were connected by joists. The wooden structure was packed with chalk (the local stone) and then decked in elm planking. On these platforms were constructed 12 stone piers at irregular distances apart. There were connected by
1540-407: The tracks for the local tram system linking Strood and Frindsbury with Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. The cast iron arched bridge was partly reconstructed with bowstring-shaped trusses above the deck at a cost of £95,887. During these works the bridge remained open for traffic. The reconstructed bridge was formally opened on 14 May 1914, by Lady Darnley. In 1970 a second road bridge,
1584-510: The village: he set part of The Pickwick Papers in The Leather Bottle pub. Other people connected with Cobham include Sir Joseph Williamson , who bought Cobham Hall in 1696, and the insane artist Richard Dadd , who, while recuperating in Cobham, murdered his father in 1843. The Hon Ivo Bligh , the first English cricket captain to attempt to recover The Ashes from Australia, became
1628-467: The water inside was pumped out to create a dry working area on the riverbed. The main oak piling was then driven deep into the chalk bedrock. The piers were built within a timber framework; they were stone faced and packed with ragstone rubble. Across the piers three oak beams were placed and planks laid over that to form the road-deck. This was a stone bridge of eleven arches. It was built by Henry Yevele between August 1387 September 1391. The bridge over
1672-464: The work to the bridges, this was paid for by the Rochester Bridge Trust with the proceeds from the original endowments and was carried out at no cost to the public taxpayer or bridge users. National Cycle Route 1 passes over the road bridges. There are four extant bridges, and also the Roman bridge, and the Mediaeval bridge that was built 40m upstream, and the first railway bridge. The Roman Bridge
1716-418: Was 40 feet (12 m) wide with a combined span of 485 feet (148 m) over the three arches. The outside arches were each 140 feet (43 m), and the central arch was 170 feet (52 m) long with 18 feet (5.5 m) feet of headroom at high water. It appeared delicate, but the cast iron structure weighed over 2,500 metric tons (2,500 long tons). It rested on foundations of cast iron cylinders sunk through
1760-590: Was almost certainly the first bridge at the site, and probably the earliest major bridge built in Britain by the Roman army, as the Romans were the first occupiers to have the necessary technology to bridge such a wide and fierce tidal river. The Roman engineers might have initially built a pontoon bridge to support and supply their invading armies; however this would have needed replacing by a stronger, more permanent bridge to support increased traffic. Victorian engineers discovered
1804-461: Was built circa AD 43 on the instructions of the Emperor Claudius. The flat bridge deck was supported on nine stone piers set on iron tipped oak timbers driven deep into the riverbed. To achieve this, a coffer-dam of two concentric circles of shallow piling was constructed around the site of each pier. The space between the two circles was then packed with clay to make the coffer-dam waterproof, and
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1848-402: Was built in 1856 to replace the stone bridge. This bridge was built downstream of the stone bridge, on the alignment of the current bridge and where the Romans had built theirs. It comprised three cast iron arches and a swing bridge span designed to swing open to allow river traffic, but the mechanism was never used and was eventually removed. The cast iron arches were below the road deck, making
1892-415: Was delicately balanced. The total weight of the swing bridge and roadway was over 300 tonnes, it could have been rotated with ease 90 degrees upriver. The East Kent Railway built the first rail bridge (which opened on 29 March 1858) for its line from Strood to Chatham. It was designed and built by Joseph Cubitt , and had four spans, one of which could be opened to allow masted ships through, although this
1936-561: Was later found to be unnecessary and so was fixed shut. The bridge was built of iron girders supported on masonry piers, 600 feet in length and weighing 700 tons. The East Kent Railway became the London Chatham and Dover Railway 1 August 1859 and in 1861 the bridge became a part of the newly completed Chatham Main Line from London to Dover . The South Eastern Railway , the LCDR's local rival, built
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