It is suspected that the ferry at this site was a private operation for the Guinness family as they owned land on the south bank of the river. It is understood the iron bridge eventually replaced the ferry and was probably built by the engineering department of the Guinness Brewery. It was built in the 1870s to carry water pipes and electricity lines from the mill race turbine to the nearby Farmleigh House and the clock tower (which housed a large water tank), by Edward Cecil Guinness who had bought the estate in 1872.
A ferry at this site is thought to have been operated privately by the Guinness family, given their ownership of land on the river's south bank. The iron bridge eventually took its place and was probably constructed by the Guinness Brewery's engineering team. Built in the 1870s, it carried water pipes and electricity lines from the mill race turbine to Farmleigh House and the clock tower, which housed a large water tank, under the supervision of Edward Cecil Guinness, who purchased the estate in 1872.