Aqueduct

The aqueduct for the Bristol water supply was completed in 1851 and designed by engineer James Simpson. It features a wrought iron tube supported by limestone piers and abutments. The structure consists of approximately 260 meters of wrought iron pipe, which has an ovoid section measuring 4 meters deep and 1 meter wide. This pipe spans the valley and crosses Watery Lane on 14 piers made of coursed, rock-faced masonry, which taper squarely to concrete padstones that hold rocker bearings for the large pipe. The height of the piers varies to match the ground profile, and the central pier is cruciform with raking buttresses. At both ends, there are stone revetment walls topped with simple iron railings, enclosing a reservoir made of puddled clay. The pipeline is still in use and is part of an 18-kilometer supply line, making it likely the oldest surviving example of this type of engineering.