Summary

The largest of three bridges over the River Frome built in 1834 to designs by Dorset's County Surveyor, William Evans.

Description

The largest of originally three bridges over the water meadows of the River Frome near Moreton, built in 1834 to designs by Dorset's County Surveyor, William Evans.

The eight-span bridge is constructed in brick with Portland stone cut-waters and copings and with footings of Ridgeway flagstone. Its eight segmental arches have piers between them with rounded cut-waters. The latter are straight-sided and finished with rounded tops level with the apices of the arches. To the centre of the bridge is a large diamond shaped pier with a large triangular cutwater at each end continued up to parapet level and forming a pedestrian refuge. The ends of the parapet walls curve outwards and are finished with small brick piers.

History

Designed by Dorset's County Surveyor, William Evans, it is the largest of three bridges built in 1834 as part of a causeway over the water meadows of the River Frome. They were funded by public subscription following an initial anonymous donation. The contract for the three bridges, which were built by George and William Slade, stonemasons of Dorchester, was in the sum of £795. The two other, smaller bridges situated to the north that were also designed by William Evans, were completely rebuilt in the late C20.

Reasons for Listing

Hurst (South) Bridge, the largest of originally three bridges over the River Frome, built in 1834 to designs by Dorset's County Surveyor, William Evans, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural and engineering interest: as a good and representative early-C19 intact example of a large, multi-span bridge in a rural setting designed by a named local engineer;
* Historic interest: as an interesting example of an early-C19 development of an important local causeway over the water meadows of the River Frome, funded through public subscription;
* Intactness: the bridge has survived well.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677232

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)