Tern Bridge

Road bridge, built in 1771-1780, designed by William Hayward for the County of Shropshire and Noel Hill, 2nd Baron of Berwick. The road was widened in 1932.

MATERIAL: grey sandstone ashlar.

DESCRIPTION: the bridge consists of a single, wide, segmental arch with rusticated voussoirs. At the centre is a triple keystone consisting of fluted keys flanking a central carved face. Above is a continuous frieze and cornice, topped by a balustrade parapet interrupted by intermittent square blocking. At either end of the arch is an arched niche flanked by rusticated Tuscan half-columns and the parapet above breaks forward of the bridge line. The bridge is flanked by curved retaining walls that have square-end piers and battered buttresses. A plaque in the centre of the parapet is inscribed ‘THIS BRIDGE/WAS ERECTED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE COUNTY/A.D. MDCCLXXX/ AND DECORATED AT THE EXPENSE OF/NOEL HILL ESQ/WILLIAM HAYWARD ARCHITECT’. Smaller plates records that the bridge ‘WIDENED 1932 BY/THE REINFORCED CONCRETE/CONSTRUCTION CO LTD/OLD TRAFFORD MANCHESTER’.