Dumb Bell Bridge (MLN12263) is a Grade II listed building in the Buckinghamshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 19 February 2013. Bridge.
Dumb Bell Bridge (MLN12263)
- WRENN ID
- rusted-obsidian-larch
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Buckinghamshire
- Constituency
- Beaconsfield MP: Joy Morrissey (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 19 February 2013
- Type
- Bridge
- Address
- Dumb Bell Bridge (MLN12263), Bath Road (A4), Taplow, South Buckinghamshire
- OS grid reference
- SU 910 812
- Coordinates
- 51.52247, -0.68948
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
Dumb Bell Bridge is a Grade II listed structure built in two phases, with the south side dating to around 1838 and the north side constructed between 1875 and 1884. The bridge features a single semi-elliptical span measuring 32 feet (9.8 meters) and is skewed across the road. It is made of London stock brick, with Bramley Fall stone coping and a string course. The east abutment of the north side has a large patch of engineering brick repair, and small metal ties are present inside the north arch ring.
Both sides of the bridge display consistent detailing and materials, with a visible straight joint in the soffit marking the transition between the two construction phases. The bold stone cornice and string course are prominent on both elevations, and the abutments are designed as broad pilaster strips. Originally, the bridge had a stepped brick plinth, which has since been cut back.
On the south side, the 1838 elevation features radiused abutments, with the parapet stepping up above them. The west abutment slightly projects to create a rectangular enclosure for pedestrian steps leading from the road to rail level, accessed through a tall semi-circular opening that is now closed off by a timber fence and gate; it is unclear if the steps still exist. The east abutment connects to a long raked wing wall that follows the skewed line of the road. The brick arch ring on this side has suffered damage from road vehicles.
The north side, built between 1875 and 1884, is somewhat simplified compared to the south side. The abutments here are not curved; the east abutment has a rectangular plan with blank elevations and lacks stairs, while the west abutment is splayed into a long raked wing that also follows the road's skewed line.
Local climate
Dumb Bell Bridge (MLN12263) sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 710 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 85% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 81% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 34 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 53% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
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- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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