A new Thames Path footbridge opens at London’s Dukes Meadows

Dukes Meadows
Dukes Meadow Footbridge under Barnes Bridge © Aerial Essex

Dukes Meadows Footbridge, a new pedestrian bridge in Chiswick, West London has opened. Designed by Moxon Architects together with structural engineers COWI, the bridge was constructed by Knights Brown and closely follows the concept and planning design prepared by Moxon with engineers CampbellReith. The new low-carbon footbridge – positioned beneath the existing Grade II listed Barnes Bridge – rejuvenates a previously disconnected stretch of the Thames Path, dramatically improving safety, access, and pedestrian flow.

As one of the projects in the Mayor of London’s £53 million Liveable Neighbourhoods scheme, the bridge is part of the London Borough of Hounslow’s drive to improve infrastructure, safety and leisure opportunities in the Dukes Meadows area. The new bridge links two sections of the Thames Path, with landscaped landings improving access to the nearby rowing clubs and sports grounds.

Dukes Meadows
© Aerial Essex
Dukes Meadows
© Aerial Essex
Dukes Meadows
© Simon Kennedy
Dukes Meadows
© Simon Kennedy

As well as negating the need for pedestrians to make a 500m detour to negotiate the railway, the footbridge makes the Thames Path inclusive to more users, providing better-lit and safer access to wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and those with pushchairs. By enhancing the Thames Path, the new footbridge provides additional leisure options to the wider area, encouraging recreation and sustainable modes of travel. The bridge also responds to the high volume of rowing traffic along this section of the river, anticipating views to and from rowers at all tide levels.

Dukes Meadows
© Simon Kennedy

Utilising off-site prefabrication in Tilbury, Essex, as well as the river itself for the transportation and installation of the bridge sections, an overall aim has been to reduce environmental impacts and carbon emissions during construction. Energy efficient lighting was designed to protect the fragile ecosystem within Dukes Hollow. With robust finishes in stainless steel and aluminium, the structure anticipates future flooding and reduces the maintenance required over its expected 100+ year lifetime.

Dukes Meadows
© Aerial Essex
Dukes Meadows
© Aerial Essex
Dukes Meadows
© Aerial Essex

The structure is a ‘half through’ truss form with distinctive bracing members angled to maximise oblique views to the river. Estimates using COWI’s CO2e tool show innovation in material specification and construction technique between design and completion have enabled a 50% reduction of carbon emissions associated with the trusses, and a 30% reduction in the footbridge’s overall carbon footprint. 

Dukes Meadows
© Simon Kennedy

The meandering alignment of the trusses facilitates views up and downstream, as well as into the adjacent Dukes Hollow nature reserve – one of the few remaining natural tidal habitats in London. In addition to linking the Thames Path and providing access to the adjacent sports grounds and rowing clubs, the design also respects surrounding ecology by carefully integrating the structure into landscaped banks on either side of Barnes bridge. The open truss parapets that enable views from the bridge, also allow views through to the dense vegetation when seen from the Barnes side of the river. The 115m long structure is divided into four ambitiously slender spans that hug the shoreline, touching down on discrete piers that provide a minimal footprint within the tidal zone.

Dukes Meadows
© Simon Kennedy

The impact of the resulting footbridge will be felt far beyond the project’s boundaries as it enhances the already cherished Dukes Meadows.

“Our intention was to develop an affordable, efficient, and honest solution that was easy to construct and pleasing to use. With a modest and refined appearance, the bridge sits respectfully below the existing landmark structure, referencing its form without competing for attention.”

Ezra Groskin, Director, Moxon Architects,
Dukes Meadows
© Moxon Architects
Dukes Meadows
© Moxon Architects
Dukes Meadows
© Moxon Architects
Dukes Meadows
© Moxon Architects

New Thames Path footbridge opens at London’s Dukes Meadows

Client: London Borough of Hounslow

Architect and Lighting Designer: Moxon Architects

Structural, Geotechnical, Environmental and Civil Engineering: CampbellReith (Concept Design) / COWI (Technical Design)

Principal Contractor: Knights Brown

Steel Fabricator: McNealy Brown

Marine Engineering: Marmus

Marine Transport and Logistics: Red 7 Marine

Electrical Engineering: Slender Winter Partnership

CDM Consultant: Goddard Consulting

Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor: Currie & Brown

Image Credits: As captioned

Text Credits: Moxon Architects

About Terren Shi 116 Articles
Terren is an emerging graduate landscape architect with a passion for design theory and history. She holds a Bachelor of Design and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Melbourne, which she completed in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Currently, Terren works as a sessional tutor at the Melbourne School of Design. She also contributes interviews and essays on landscape architecture and design.