Newton Cap Bridge

Road bridge, about 1600, with later alterations.

PLAN: oriented almost north-south but crosses the river at a slightly skew angle. Two arches are approached at either end by short causeways, and there is a cantilevered walkway to the east side.

MATERIALS: roughly squared sandstone blocks with larger, more regular blocks to the abutments and central pier, and different coloured stone to the parapets.

DESCRIPTION: the bridge comprises two segmental arches: the southern one with a slightly pointed crown and a span of about 28m; and the northern one with a span of about 30.5m. Both arches have three main arch rings composed of multiple small, well-dressed voussoirs that are generally thin and rectangular. The second and third arch rings are each corbelled out slightly from the ring below, and the northern arch has a more crudely constructed fourth arch ring with less regular voussoirs laid flush with the third. The spandrels are mostly composed of roughly squared blocks laid in irregular horizontal courses; areas of more regular coursing appear to be the result of later patching and rebuilding. The stonework of the abutments and central pier is larger and more regular, of almost ashlar quality.

The bridge's central pier has large pointed cutwaters to each elevation that rise to a narrow stringcourse and terminate in half-hips, while the piers continue up as broad pilaster strips to parapet level where they form trapezoidal pedestrian refuges. The pier has a chamfered step-back just above normal river level. The face of the southern abutment has three chamfered step-backs, and a narrow stringcourse at the level of the springing. A narrow ashlar stringcourse at deck level separates the spandrels from the parapets which, constructed of differently coloured stone to the rest of the bridge, are thought to be replacements, as is the coping.

The western parapet carries a restored inscription recording the leap of an Edward Palfrey from the bridge into the river below in 1744. A modern, pedestrian walkway obscures the eastern parapet and stringcourse, and is partly supported on the abutments and central pedestrian refuge and is also cantilevered out on girders set into the top of the spandrels. Straight joins visible in the parapet walling of the western central pedestrian refuge indicate that a similar walkway once existed against the upstream elevation of the bridge.

The west wall of the southern causeway mostly batters out slightly, while the east wall is vertical to accommodate an L-shaped set of stone steps accessed through a stile in the parapet wall down to the south bank, serving also as buttress. Several stabilising steel tie rods and anchor plates are visible in both causeway walls.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 24 January 2023 to amend a typo in the description