Clay Bridge

Clay Bridge is a bridge built in 1825 by J.S. Padley, the county surveyor. It is constructed from brick and stone.

The bridge features a double carriageway and a single span, with a brick parapet that has stone coping. The parapets curve around and end in stone-capped brick piers on either side. The stone voussoirs on both sides of the bridge are decorated with abstract or almost floral designs. Some areas around the arches have been repaired with modern bricks, and there is a metal tie running through the structure from north to south at its east end. Additionally, the north face is supported to the east of the arch by free-standing concrete buttresses that are not connected to the bridge itself.

Clay Bridge was built as part of a bridge rebuilding program on the Lincoln to Horncastle Turnpike, now the A158, which was established in the mid-18th century. It is similar in design to White Bridge, located to the west, and is one of several bridges designed by Padley, including Langworth Bridge and Hatton Bridge, which still exist. The bridge was bypassed by the A158 in 1969 and is now situated on a minor road, but it continues to carry traffic.

Clay Bridge is notable as a well-preserved early 19th-century structure with distinctive ornamental stone carving on its arches, which is similar to that on White Bridge but appears to be unique in this context. It also holds local historical significance due to its association with J.S. Padley.