Bath Road Bridge (BKE3729)

MATERIALS: original handmade red brick. Red engineering brick used for patching and for alterations to the parapets. English bond. Limestone copings.

DESCRIPTION: the central arch is slightly taller than the side arches. Dimensions appear to be similar to those of the neighbouring and contemporary Tilehurst Road Bridge (BKE3709), which has a central span of 38ft 4in and c. 30ft side arches. The carriageway is 24ft [7.3m] between parapets. The piers are tapered and were originally pierced by three tapering transverse arches. These arches have been blocked up with brick so they now read as blind arches. At least one tie plate is visible in the north (low mileage) face. Abutments/wing walls are vertical and straight. A stepped string course runs across each face and above the outer face of the parapet is stepped. They have been raised in the C20 by two courses of red engineering brick above the original coping left in-situ and have steeply pitched purple brick copings with small anti-climb spikes. The parapets are also rebuilt in red engineering brick at the ends, possibly in connection with the construction of the entrances to the modern steel footbridges which flank the bridge on both sides (these are not attached.) In particular, the east end of the south (high mileage) parapet was truncated and rebuilt in engineering brick so that it curves back on a concrete raft to form part of the entrance to the southern footbridge. The modern steel footbridges are not of special interest.

The bridge is generally not visible in the wider landscape because it was designed to span a cutting. However, it is mutually visible with Tilehurst Road Bridge (BKE3709).