"Cross the bridge sir? That will be sixpence

As a youngster I remember our family having to use The Old Shoreham Bridge when driving westwards out of Brighton on the only main road. It was of wooden construction and looked rickety even in the 1960's, having been rebuilt during the first World War.

Construction of its predecessor was authorised by Act of Parliament and first opened to public traffic in March 1782. From the beginning, the bridge was to be financially self-supporting. Money was to be raised in two ways. Firstly by the issue of shares and secondly by the imposition of a toll on all foot passengers and animal and vehicular traffic using the bridge. The early tolls were: For every Coach, Chariot, Chaise, Hearse, or other such like Carriage, with four Wheels, One Shilling; and for every Horse or other Beast drawing the same, Sixpence:

The bridge remained in private trusteeship for the first eighty years and was then taken over by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company on the opening of the Steyning Line from Shoreham to Horsham in 1861. The bridge was completely rebuilt by the company during the First World War retaining the original eighteenth century design. The bridge carried the coastal trunk road - the A27 road - until 1970 when its successor was built a quarter mile to the north. The British Railways Board finally closed the bridge to road traffic on 7 December 1970. At the time the bridge closed it was the last public road bridge in Sussex to be controlled by a toll.

This roll of tickets is from the British Railways Board era and contains the most comprehensive abdication of responsibility in the Conditions on the rear of the ticket, namely:
"This ticket is issued upon and subject to the special conditions that the Board shall not be liable for personal injury (whether fatal or otherwise) loss, damage, delay or detention of or to the holder or his property by whatsoever or however caused, whether or not by the neglect of the Board, their servants or agents"

For those not familiar with £-s-d, 6d is 2.5 pence in "new money", except of course we no longer have half-pennies

Summary extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoreham_Tollbridge