Eden Bridge

CARLISLE

NY4056 Eden Bridge 671-1/7/123 01/06/49

GV I

Road bridge over River Eden. 1812-15, for the County of Cumberland by Robert Smirke, with various minor alterations and 1932 widening by Percy Dalton, City Engineer. Reeded calciferous sandstone ashlar. 5 segmental arches of double width, on rounded piers, with flush voussoirs, string course and solid parapet. North to south alignment. Abutments project at either side on the south and the north-west but replaced by steps on north-east as an entrance to Rickerby Park; the recesses in the parapets above the abutments have a stone seat with flanking rectangular cast-iron gas lamp brackets now surmounted by C20 electric light globes. A pedestrian tunnel was cut through the south in 1902, lined with white glazed bricks; external stone steps were added on the south-west side to reach the tunnel; a ramp gives access at the other side. Under the arches can be seen the cleaner stonework of the extension on the east side which has a face exactly matching that on the west but of new stone. Cut onto the south-west abutment are the various flood dates and levels, but most are now weathered - DEC 13TH 1852 and 1857 are visible. Fixed onto the bridge parapet are various bronze plaques giving a brief history and a central one recording the widening. Under the arches in the river bed are the remains of a C16 bridge and its associated piling discovered during dredging in 1951. For history of site see Hogg CWAAS, Trans.NS LII and Macdonald, CWAAS, Trans.NS LXXI. This was one of the two bridges built together but the southern channel of the river was left dry and gradually filled; the southern bridge was demolished in 1969-70 to make way for the inner ring road. A Scheduled Ancient Monument. (Cumb. & West. Antiquarian & Archaeological Soc., New Series: Hogg, Robert: LII: The Historic Crossings of the River Eden: P.131-159; Cumb. & West. Antiquarian & Archaeological Soc., New Series: MacDonald MIM: LXXI: The building of the New Eden Bridge: P.248-259).

Listing NGR: NY4005556571