Description

Dated 1704, the spa bridge is a low, narrow, single-arch packhorse bridge of rubble stone construction with rubble voussoirs and spandrels. The large rubble stones forming both sides of the arch are exposed on the open deck with some cobble and gravel infill. The date stone is raised and is at the eastern end of the bridge on the southern face. There is a small iron hoop attached to the south arch. The bridge spans the Kennoway Burn which flows through Kennoway Den on the western side of the village of Kennoway in Fife.

Historical development

Taylor and Skinner's linear road map of 1776 shows the main route between Cupar and Edinburgh passed through the village of Kennoway. This map shows the Kennoway Burn and the principal transport routes and river crossings around the village. It also names the landowner who owned the lands of Kennoway and Treaton, the Bethune (or Beaton) family of Balfour (New Statistical Account, p.378). The spa bridge was likely constructed to form a quicker route to Balfour, Balgonie and Markinch and the neighbouring farms to the west of Kennoway village and Kennoway Den.

The bridge appears to be shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1854, but it is not named as such, however a minor track is shown leading to the location of the bridge which then connects to a larger path on the opposite side of the burn. Kennoway Den is a wooded ravine. It is described in the Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1853-55 as a narrow, rugged and wooded pass between two small hills, through which there are several delightful walks (OS1/13/93/23).

The spa bridge is first shown in detail on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1893 and is named as a footbridge. This map shows the bridge is close to the Spa Well which supplied fresh water for the village (Fifeshire Advertiser) and is presumably where the name 'Spa Bridge' comes from. The 2nd Edition and later Ordnance Survey maps of 1913 and 1961 show the bridge was accessed from The Causeway via Spa Wynd, a pathway that ran from the historic main street, towards the well and down towards the bridge.

The datestone was reset in 1952 following vandalism when the stone was thrown into the burn (Fifeshire Advertiser). The bridge remains in use as part of the public path network through Kennoway Den.

Statement of Interest

The spa bridge in Kennoway Den meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

• Dated 1704, it is an early surviving example of a packhorse bridge.
• The bridge is largely unaltered.
• It is an unusual example of a packhorse bridge due to its small size.
• It is an early crossing over the Kennoway Burn which once formed part of a route connecting Kennoway village with the surrounding mills, farms and estates.

Architectural interest:

Design

Packhorse bridges were designed to be simple and strong to provide safe passage over rivers and streams. The design of the spa bridge is typical for this type of bridge, without prominent parapets, indicating it was primarily designed for use by a horse with overhanging panniers (or side bags). Usually designed to be one-horse wide, this example in Kennoway Den is especially narrow, but it is comparable to other examples in Scotland, such as Miavaig Bridge on Lewis and Harris (LB19270), for the width of the watercourse it spans.

The 2nd and later Edition Ordnance Survey (25 inch) maps of 1893, 1913 and 1961 show there were stepping stones at the foot of Spa Wynd, a little to north of this bridge where the burn is wider. Pedestrians could take this more direct route, but the spa bridge was purposefully built at a narrower section of the burn to make the crossing with an animal easier.

The spa bridge is an early, small-scale and simply designed example of a packhorse bridge that is largely unaltered in terms of its fabric and plan form.

Setting

The bridge spans Kennoway Burn which flows through Kennoway Den, a broad-leaved woodland den with exposed cliffs and caves that bounds the western edge of the village of Kennoway in Fife (Woodland Trust; Scottish Cave and Mine Database). The bridge is accessed via a local walking path network through Kennoway Den.

Historic postcards (dated 1908 and 1920) show the wider setting of the bridge survives largely intact (Prints Online; Hutchinson, p.870). The western wall of the walled orchard and Spa Wynd (both visible in the 1908 photograph) remain evident in the landscape.

The immediate setting of the bridge has changed throughout the 20th century, in particular to the burn embankments and to the paths either side. The 1908 photograph shows a weir downstream and shows the paths as more natural and interspersed with trees. The 1920 postcard image is similar to what is visible on the ground today (2025) (Hutchinson, p.870). Since the early-20th century, the sides of the waterway have been built up with rubble and appears narrower overall. The paths have also been widened, upgraded and surfaced with fine gravel, however these changes are not uncommon for a local walking route that has been upgraded and developed over time. Overall, the woodland den setting is retained and the historic Spa Wynd pathway between the bridge and The Causeway survives.

Historic interest:

Age and rarity

Dated 1704, the spa bridge is an early and rare type of bridge. Packhorse bridges were common along trade and droving routes before the widespread construction of larger-scale turnpike roads in the late-18th century. While small-scale, this bridge would once have formed part of a local rural trade route between Kennoway and the surrounding area to the west, as well as a connecting route to the main road to Falkland. There are three late-20th century bridge additions along the burn through Kennoway Den.

The survival of the spa bridge is of interest as an earlier crossing that remains in use as part of a public footpath network.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

The spa bridge is an early crossing over the Kennoway Burn. In the 19th century, the bridge formed part of the rural road/path network connecting Kennoway village with the farms and estates to the west, including Kingsdale House (listed at category B, LB10009) and Newton Hall (listed at category B, LB10010), as well as Kings Mills to the south and Auchtermairnie Mill to the north (demolished in the late 1990s).

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

Other Information

The village of Kennoway is thought to have got its name from the Gaelic ceannuan-uaigh meaning "head of the den” (Gazetteer for Scotland).

Recommended Books

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  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6