Bideford Bridge Including Parapet Walls And Gates Of East Abutment

BIDEFORD

SS4526 BRIDGE STREET 842-1/7/19 Bideford Bridge including parapet 08/11/49 walls and gates of E abutment

GV I

Bridge across River Torridge. Probably C15, encasing timbers of a wooden bridge originally built in late C13. Widened to include footpaths in 1795-1810. Further widened to provide double carriageway by Thomas Page of London in 1867. Parapets and cutwaters rebuilt in 1925. Stone rubble with dressed stone voussoirs. Parapets of reinforced concrete and rough-faced coursed stone blocks with copings of dressed stone. Granite piers. Consists of 24 pointed arches of differing widths, believed to result from its timber origins. On either side of each one is a segmental arch added to carry the footpaths of 1795-1810. Parapets of 1925 project on reinforced concrete cantilevers. Each parapet carries 6 iron lamp-standards on concrete pedestals; these closely resemble the originals of 1925, although their tops are late C20. The eastern abutment retains the parapet-walls of 1867 with chamfered copings. On each side is a pair of octagonal granite gate-piers, the shafts with trefoil-headed panels; pyramidal caps with coved bases, the east pier on each side with an ornate iron lampholder on top; each side has original iron gates decorated with scrollwork. Matching gate pier at west end of north parapet. At 678ft the 'Long Bridge' is reckoned to be the longest in Devon (Barnstaple Bridge is 530ft). Bishop Quinil of Exeter (1280-91) is said to have granted indulgences to those contributing to its building. Bishop Stapeldon left it 40s in his will of 1327. Late C14 and early C15 bishops granted indulgences towards its rebuilding or repair, but a papal letter of 1459 describes it as being of wood. Leland (c1535-43) is the first to describe it as built of stone. Timbers were found encased in the masonry during the alterations of 1925; one of them is preserved in Bideford Public Library. In the Middle Ages there was a chapel at each end of the bridge: St Anne on the east, Allhallows on the west. (Transactions of Devonshire Association: Duncan AG: The Long Bridge of Bideford (article): 1902-: P.222-264; Whiting FE: The Long Bridge of Bideford: Bideford: 1945-; Henderson C: Old Devon Bridges: 1938-: P.92-3, PLATE 42).

Listing NGR: SS4557126430