NEWPORT PAGNELLS BR AKA TICKFORD BRIDGE 1810 Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire HEW52 SP877 438 N52o 5' 9" W0o 43' 11"
This cast iron bridge with its semi-elliptical arch crosses the River Lovat with a span of 58 feet. It was designed by Thomas Wilson and Henry Provis and cast at the Walker Foundry in Rotherham. The six ribs each have eleven segments connected with mortise and tendon joints keyed together. The 25’ roadbed is of iron plates which were reinforced with concrete in 1976 because this bridge carries a full load of traffic . The spandrels have the diminishing open rings of that era with an additional arch edge design which is a Wilson trademark and in this case uses open rings of equal size.
This bridge is considered Wilson's masterpiece, although I prefer the grace of his bridge at Stratfield Saye. He built a number of beautiful but ambitious bridges including The Sunderland Bridge over the Tyne several of which collapsed, probably due to the abutments not being anchored is suitable soils to be able to handle the great trust of the shallow arches he favored. In this case, Henry Provis' limestone abutments go down to bedrock. There are only three known Wilson bridges surviving today: this one, the one at Stratfield Saye on the Duke of Wellington's estate in Hampshire and one in Spanish Town, Jamaica. The bridge is easily found as it is the pride of the community and is well signed in the city center.