Bellotts Road Bridge

Bellotts Road Bridge is a single arch road bridge built in 1839 as part of the Great Western Railway line between Bristol and Bath, designed by chief engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The resident engineer for the Bristol/Bath Division was G.A. Frere. The bridge is constructed of squared coursed white limestone with freestone dressings, spanning a brick arch. It features a four-centred Tudor arch framed by moulded freestone voussoirs, flanked by buttresses with set-offs, and a parapet with triangular coping. Some brick patching is visible on the arch.

The bridge was built to accommodate field tracks, reflecting the rural character of the area, which would later see suburban development in the 19th century. It is the western of three Great Western Railway road bridges in Twerton, alongside Brook Road Bridge and Brougham Hayes Bridge, located to the east of Twerton Viaduct. The line was opened on the broad gauge between Bristol and Bath on August 31st 1840.

The bridge is designated at grade II for its architectural significance, exhibiting a Tudor-gothic design typical of the Great Western Railway’s Bristol-Bath Division. It is also significant historically as an early example of a railway structure from a pioneering phase of national railway development, and for its association with the renowned engineer and architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The bridge remains relatively intact, despite some patching to the arch, and possesses considerable group value alongside other listed Great Western Railway structures, particularly Twerton Viaduct and Brook Road Bridge, owing to their shared architectural style.