It crosses the River Itchen joining the suburbs of St Denys and Bitterne Park.

[1] An iron bridge was constructed across the Itchen to St Denys, thus improving access and vastly increasing the value of the land.

Cobden was notable as a campaigner for free trade, and formed the Anti-Corn Law League.

The bridge was opened on 27 June 1883 by Thorold Rogers, another Liberal politician and friend of Cobden, who was also chairman of the Land Company.

[3] A new five arch concrete bridge, vastly superior to its predecessor, was built between 1926 and 1928, to better cope with the increases in size and volume of traffic.