HOLT FLEET BRIDGE 1828 Thomas Telford Nr. Ombersley, Worchestershire HEW 135 SO 824 634 N53o 5’ 37.7” W3o 48’ 28.1”
To find this charming bridge exit Ombersley on the A4133 towards Ludlow which will take you across this bridge a mile or so to the west in the riverside port of Holt Fleet.
This simple, single span bridge arches 150 feet across the Severn River with the grace and flair of all Telford’s bridges. The substantial red sandstone abutments and flood arches give an architectural flair to the simple spandrels of cast iron struts and tie rods. There are five cast iron arched ribs. The whole is secured with mortise and tendon joints and cast iron wedges. The deck plates rest on cast iron beams six inches deep. It was built by William Hazeltine.
As you will notice, in 1928 the bridge was strengthened with reinforced concrete which encases the upper and lower side of the arch ribs over their full span and width. In addition, the bridge was sensitively widened by extending the roadway over the outer arches with a new concrete roadbed.
The sandstone abutments are in scale to the bridge and the whole effect is of airy strength and grace. The bridge was strengthened with reinforced concrete deck which is cantilevered over the edge to widen the roadway.