Lancaster Canal Basin Bridge (Number 98)

The Lancaster Canal Basin Bridge (number 98) is a roving bridge, dating from around 1797. It was designed by John Rennie, the engineer for the Lancaster Canal Company. Constructed of coursed squared sandstone, the bridge has a concave plan with slightly battered abutments. It features a semi-elliptical arch reinforced with a triple keystone, a band above the arch, and low parapets with rounded coping. The western parapet has undergone raising and a stepped-up central section. A cast-iron rubbing strip is still visible on the north corner of the east side of the arch, intended to shield the masonry from wear caused by tow ropes. Originally built to carry the towpath across the canal, avoiding nearby coal wharves approximately 100 metres to the east, the bridge is now the only unaltered roving bridge over the main Preston-Tewitfield section of the Lancaster Canal.