British Iron Bridges

Staffordshire

GREAT HAYWOOD CANAL FOOT BRIDGE 1840’s N52o 47’ 58.6” W2o 0’ 24.4”

This footbridge, perhaps once a carriage way, across the Stafford/Stourport Canal at Great Haywood, is a charming example of the individual iron bridges built across canals by adjacent property owners. This one is perhaps by Joseph Brindley. It has a gothic theme in its railing design, so may date from the Regency period of around 1820. Walk to the canal under the railroad viaduct and cross the stone canal bridge to take the tow path on the other side, turning to your left.

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Category: Staffordshire

EGGINTON BRIDGE 1812 Staffordshire SK254 277 N52o 47’ 30.2” W2o 1’ 45.3”

PRIVATE PROPERTY This poor, dilapidated survivor is a good testament to the endurance of iron bridges ! It probably once carried a carriage drive over the outlet of an ornamental lake but today is hidden by trees in the middle of the farm fields. It has a elliptical arch of 27 feet and is proudly signed “1812 Coalbrookdale” and certainly has their trademark ‘diminishing circles’ spandrel design. On one side it has three brick flood arches. It has lost its railing and only two of the posts with their scroll brackets remain. The locals call it “the Coalbrookedale Bridge,” but it is on private land with access to strangers only by permission of the farmer. The village of Egginton is just off the A38 southwest of Derby on A5132.

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Category: Staffordshire

CHETWYND BRIDGE 1824 nr. Alrewas, Staffordshire HEW 168 SK187 139 N52o 43’ 20.5” W1o 43’ 17.6”

This very bold bridge designed by Joseph Potter and cast at Coalbrookdale spans the River Tame in three shallow arches, the outer two being close to 72 feet each and the center arch being 81 feet. There are five ribs in each arch and the spandrels have a triangular pattern. The total width of the roadbed and a narrow footpath is 18 feet. The masonry work is especially bold and pleasing with substantial piers and curving abutments each of them terminating in a stone capped pilaster.

To find this “brother” of the High Bridge at Handsacre, take the A513 past Alrewas and over the A38 in the direction of Tamworth for about a mile.

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Category: Staffordshire

SHUGBOROUGH 1813 Staffordshire SJ993 227

THE RED BRIDGE N52o 47’ 30.2” W2o 1’ 45.3”

This charming “Chinese” bridge of cast iron is located in the grounds of Shugborough Park which is open to the public by the County Council, although the house itself (once owned by the Anson family) is owned by the National Trust. It is located on the A513 six miles east of Stafford. The bridge was designed by Charles Heywood and manufactured by John Toye.

The bridge is very fortunate in its setting beside a “Chinese” pavilion on the edge of the pond which it spans to an island. It has a very shallow arch spanning 42 feet, six inches with the “descending open ring” design in the spandrels. The parapet railings are simple, but there is a grouping of decorative lattice “pillars” at both ends with crown caps.

THE BLUE BRIDGE 1814 N52o 47’ 56.1” W2o 0’ 53.9” For this longer span, Charles Heywood used three arches with the diminishing circles design in the spandrels, but he repeated the delightful lattice “pillars” at both ends and there are lattice work panels marking the termination of each arch. This bridge is not located in the public-access area, but you can see it by walking on the path of the mansion gardens facing the decorative lake/waterway, as it was located to be viewed across them from the terraces on the backside of the house. Look to your left across the water.

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Category: Staffordshire

HIGH BRIDGE HANDSACRE 1830 Staffordshire SK092 167 N52o 44’ 55.3” W1o 51’ 55.6”

(Also known as the Mavesyn Ridware Bridge by the inhabitants of the opposite bank of the River Trent ) It was designed by Joseph Potter and cast at Coalbrookdale. It is a brother to the Chetwynd Bridge near Alrewas, Staffordshire which was also designed by Potter, cast at Coalbrookdale and built a few years earlier.

The High Bridge spans the River Trent with five cast iron arched ribs of 140 feet. Each rib consists of seven bolted sections, with diagonal and transverse bracing between the ribs. This is a substantial bridge with a total width of 25’8” and with graceful curving stone abutments terminating in darker stone capped pilasters.

In 1982 the bridge was strengthened to prevent damage due to expected subsidence from centuries of coal mining and the B5014 traffic was diverted to a modern bridge alongside.

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Category: Staffordshire