Devils Backbone Bridge Or Old Bridge

NORTH HUISH SX75NW 4/475

HORSEBROOK

Devil's Backbone Bridge or Old Bridge

11.11.52

GV

II

Road bridge over River Avon, originally a packhorse bridge. Probably C17, widened probably in C18 or early C19. Stone rubble with dressed stone arch rings. Large single round arch of about 8m span. Originally a packhorse bridge of about 2m wide overall and possibly without parapets. In the C18 or early C19 it was widened by about 1m on the upstream west side and parapets added on both sides. The original arch showing on the downstream east side has unchamfered double arch rings above which the later parapet is corbelled out on large rough slates; the parapet coping on this side is of stone rubble. On the west upstream side the arch ring is single and also unchamfered and the parapet has granite coping. The abutments splay out at either end of the bridge and are built on the exposed slate bedrock of the river banks. A C20 buttress on the east side of the north abutment.

This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 29 September 2016.