Roman Road Bridge (MLN17508)

MATERIALS: faced in quarry-faced Swindon Portland stone, squared and coursed. Parapets rebuilt in purple engineering brick. The soffits refaced in the same. Also, limited patching of the faces.

DECRIPTION: skew angle is 25 degrees. Semi-circular arch with a standard span of 30ft [9m] and voussoirs, springing almost from the base of the abutments. Flanking the arch broad piers originally treated as pilasters. However, the moulded cornice which formed most of the elements of the capitals, and ran the width of each face, was replaced with a plain string course when the parapets were rebuilt. The key stones and tablet motifs were lost at the same time. Either side of the piers the faces continue as straight wing walls. A number of irregularly placed tie rods, with various styles of tie plate on both faces. The parapets terminate with piers expressed on the external face only and have a low plinth to their inside face. The coping is shallow-pitch poured concrete.

When Roman Road Bridge was constructed it was in open countryside. Today the setting has been engulfed by the suburban spread of Swindon New Town.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 24/07/2012