East Anglia
Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk
FROYZ HALL BRIDGE 1860's Halstead, Essex N51o 55’ 55.89” E 0o 36’ 05.35”
PRIVATE PROPERTY This bridge used to take the carriage drive across the ornamental lake of the estate from the time that Froyz Hall was built in the 1860's. There was an earlier house on the estate which is now gone, as is the Hall which was torn down in the 1930's. The bridge no longer serves a purpose as it stands alone in the farmed fields, the owners of the property having remodeled the old barns and stables for their residence at the other end of the estate. It has been vandalized (the parapet panels have been unbolted and thrown into the lake) and a concrete road bed replaced the original planks at some point and the greenery obscures its once elegant, even exotic pylons, with jaunty spikes topping their pagoda caps.
This is a suspension bridge with four pairs of flat wrought iron rods descending from the top of the pylons at angles to the road bed. It looks very similar to the cantilever/suspension bridges of James Dredge (1794 - 1863). I consulted Don McQuillan who is a Dredge expert and it is his opinion that it is not a Dredge bridge for the following reasons: a) it does not have Dredge's characteristic rods that reduce in number as they descend from the top of the pylons to the bridge deck to support the center b) the Froyz Hall 'rods' are flat bars except where they attach to the deck c) he has never seen any previous example where Dredge used riveted deck construction. Quillan feels this bridge "appears to be an early form of pure 'cable stay' bridge whereas the Dredge bridge is really a 'hybrid' cable-stay/suspension bridge."
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ENFIELD AQUEDUCT, FLASH LANE 1820 HEW 277 TQ323 994 N51o 40' 39.6" W0o 5' 16.6
This extraordinary object with foot paths on either side, is an iron aqueduct which once carried the New River in a water system supplying London which was built in Jacobean times. Since these photos were taken, English Heritage has restored it. The original New River project was built between 1609 and 1613 to bring water from springs at Chadwell and Amwell in Hertfordshire to reservoirs and eventually almost 39 miles to London. It was financed by its builder Hugh Myddleton and King James I. ‘Flash’ is the name for a lead-lined wooden trough to carry water. Originally, there was a flash aqueduct carrying water under Caffley Brook. This aqueduct was built in 1820. A two span brick arch carries the iron trough as well as its two footpaths. The cast iron came from the foundry of Hunter and English at Bow. The 18 foot wide trough is of four cast iron bolted sections sealed with lead and puddle clay resting on brick piers. The peculiar one inch thick 'fish-belly fins' act as stiffeners to the cast iron plates. When the New River was straightened in the late 19th century, this aqueduct was abandoned.
It is not easy to find. Flash Lane becomes a dirt road with a locked gate at the end. The aqueduct is an 8 minute walk inside that gate along the road right of way.
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CULFORD HOUSE BRIDGE 1803 Suffolk TL828 703 N52o 18' 5.8" E0o 40' 47.5"
PRIVATE PROPERTY This elegant and imposing 60 foot single span bridge of curves and arches and flaring stone parapets is supported by six hollow iron ribs, each in five segments. William Hawks & Sons did the casting at their Gateshead foundry. Samuel Wyatt (1738-1807) held a patent for bridges with hollow ribs. He considered himself an engineer/architect and was the brother of James Wyatt who was conducting alterations at Culford Hall for the first Marquess of Cornwallis during the 1790's.
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CLARE BRIDGE 1813 Suffolk HEW 1689 TL767 449 N52o 5' 56.8" E0o 49' 17.1"
A cast iron bridge over an abandoned canal off-shoot of the River Stour. William Cubitt had recently designed an iron bridge at Brent Eleigh. This bridge has three semi-elliptical spans of 11, 13’6” and 11’ respectively but uses the same design pattern as the single span bridge at Brent Eleigh. The seven cast-iron rib are tied at the crown with through-bolts and the center of the spandrels. On the west side there is an extra arch and supporting pier to accommodate a flared widening of the north half of the bridge on that side.
To find the bridge, follow the signs to the city park and priory. Leave your car in the lot opposite the antique store and walk across a new footbridge to the tow path and turn right. A few minutes' walk will take you to the bridge.
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BRENT ELEIGH BRIDGE Suffolk 1813 HEW 1642 TL934 483 N52o 5' 56.8" E0o 49' 17.1"
William Cubitt was trained as a millwright in Horning, Norfolk and after a distinguished career as a civil engineer, he became President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and earned a knighthood. This was the first road bridge he built to carry the road from Hadleigh to Bury St. Edmunds over the River Brett about a half mile west of Brent Eleigh. It is a cast iron 13 foot span with a semi-elliptical arch with seven ribs bolted to a lateral rib at the crown and through bolts are attached at the middle of the spandrels. Cast iron bearing plates tie the ribs to the brick abutments. The road was widened in 1953 and anew bridge built leaving the old bridge in place to one side.
Cubitt built two other bridges of similar style the same year at Clare, Suffolk and at Witham, Essex . To find the bridge, turn out of Lavenham on the road to Brent Eleigh opposite the bus stop shelter. BEFORE you get to Brent Eleigh look for a white iron railing on both sides of the road. That is the new bridge: the old bridge is beside it hidden by a thicket of weed trees and brambles.
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BATTLESBRIDGE Chelmsford to Benfleet Rd, Essex 1872 HEW 1476 TQ781 947 (not visited)
Named for the local family of Bataille, the present bridge over the tidal River Crouch is the successor of many bridges starting in 1327. One main span of cast iron girders flanked by two brick arched spans ws designed by County Surveyor Henry Stock and built by William Webster of Trafalgar Square, London. The main span of 47 feet has a shallow arch of six cast-iron ribs which were cast in three sections each which are spaced by brick jack arches. The east parapet still has the original cast iron open work fence in a geometric pattern, but lost the west parapet to a modern concrete footbridge erected in 1958.
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THETFORD BRIDGE 1829 Norfolk HEW1641 TL868 831 N52o 24' 49.6" E0o 44' 45.9"
This bridge crosses the Little Ouse River with a semi-elliptical arch solid spandrels decorated with an embossed design of circles. It has a span of 33 feet. The balustrade has a nice lattice detail. A plaque on one side shows a castle and one on the other side bears the date. The bridge has six cast iron ribs which are now buried in reinforced concrete during a 1964 renovation. It was built by a London firm, Brough & Smith. It is located in the center of town in a park setting of pedestrian shopping malls.
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ST. OLAVES BRIDGE 1847 St. Olaves, Norfolk HEW192 TM457 994 N51o 48' 17.1" W0o 3' 24"
Located on the A143 between Beccles and Great Yarmouth, this tied-arch bowstring bridge crosses the River Waveney. The two truss, lattice assembly cast iron girders arch over the span of 80 feet and from them the deck was originally suspended by iron rods, now supplemented by steel joists as of 1959. The main ribs are tied by flat link wrought iron chains. The bridge was built by George Edwards of Lowestoft.
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ST. MILES BRIDGE 1804 Norwich, Norfolk HEW1125 TG227 088 N51o 48' 27.1" W0o 3' 24"
This delightful Regency bridge of cast iron spanning the River Wensum was designed by James Frost of Norwich. The arched span of 36’2” has four cast iron ribs. The spandrels and parapets are of solid panels with an embossed plaque with the city arms and the date. A spout for drainage projects from the west parapet. The bridge has been restored to its original condition, except for the hand rails which are new. It is still in use as a road bridge, having survived the devastating floods of 1912 when it was submerged up to parapet level.
It is in the center of town, but since the river walkway is discontinuous, having a GPS on 'pedestrian' mode would be indispensable. You are looking for Duke Street which crosses the bridge.
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NEW RIVER BRIDGE @ WARE 1824 N51o 48' 28.5" W0o 3' 40.0"
The New River was a project financed by King James l and the builder Hugh Myddleton and built between 1609 and 1613 to bring water from the springs at Chadwell and Amwell in Herfordshire to reservoirs and eventually 39 miles to London. This cast iron bridge was built in 1824. It has ten arched ribs with two iron circles in each spandrel. It spans about 40 feet and has a width of about 12 feet. It has its original wrought iron railings and a nice welcoming flair to its brick abutments.
To find it, go into Ware city centre. Opposite the church is Priory Road which leads to a lock basin. Cross the river on a modern foot bridge and take a left (west) path along the river/canal for about a 25 minute walk (under the A10) until you come to a stone 'house' which is actually a pumping and 'counting' station for the New River. Take the footpath on the left side of the house and you will see the bridge ahead of you in the fields.
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