Wadesmill Bridge Over River Rib In Middle Of Village

TL 3517 THUNDRIDGE CAMBRIDGE ROAD Wadesmill 9/10 Wadesmill Bridge over River Rib in middle of village

GV II

Roadbridqe over River Rib. 1824-5 by Mr Robson for Cheshunt Turnpike Trustees: contractors Brough & Smith of London. Grey/yellow brick with grey granite columns, string course, and haunched beams and reused limestone copings. 31 feet wide, with 2 semi-circular arches of 25 foot span, resting centrally on a row of 6 unfluted Greek Doric columns, each of 2 drums of grey granite, with an angled haunching of granite at the springing of each arch. The river is at a slight angle to the road and a projecting plain brick dripcourse over the 18 inch arch rings obscures any irregularity on the side faces. A stepped pilaster buttress marks each abbutment and a slightly out-curved brick wall, topped by a brick parapet over the granite string course, extends to a square landward pier at each corner. The chamfered stone coping and pier cappings were probably reused from the 1767 repairs to the previous bridge. The original iron latticed side rails to the central spans were replaced to a simpler pattern after being damaged in 1966. An unusual Neo-Classical design. Branch Johnson notes that it is one of the best bridges in the county (Branch Johnson (1970) 113).

Listing NGR: TL3588517456