Summary

A road bridge over the River Yeo, built in the later C16, with the north-west parapet being rebuilt in 1972 and again in 2009 after being demolished by vehicle strikes.

Description

A road bridge, built in the later C16, with the north-west parapet being rebuilt in 1972 and again in 2009 after being demolished by vehicle strikes.

MATERIALS: of limestone ashlar.

DESCRIPTION: the bridge is aligned north-east to south-west and has two, four-centered arches with chamfered voussoirs which die into the abutments and central pier. The north-west (upstream) and south-east (downstream) sides both have a central, triangular-shaped cutwater. At road level there is an oversailing course surmounted by low parapet walls which is in turn surmounted by a wrought-iron railing. The coping stones are held together by wrought-iron clamps set in lead.

History

Smith's Bridge stands to the south of Bradford Abbas and carries a narrow, sunken road across the River Yeo. Although the bridge is mentioned in the ‘Itinerary of John Leland in or About the Years 1535-1543’, the present structure was probably built in the later C16. In 1972 the whole of the north-west parapet was demolished by a vehicle strike and subsequently rebuilt using the original stones. The north-west parapet was again demolished by a vehicle strike in 2009 and rebuilt using a mixture of original and new stones.

Reasons for Listing

Smith’s Bridge, a multi-span road bridge of the late C16, with the north-west parapet being rebuilt in 1972 and 2009, is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural interest: as an enduring construction of a simple design, with good-quality materials and detailing;
* Date: as an important example of a Tudor road bridge;
* Survival: Smith's Bridge survives in its original form, and retains its original masonry and features;
* Historic interest: as a surviving testament to the evolution of road transport during the Tudor period.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17542438

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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