Lancaster Kendal canal, Natland Hall Bridge over Lancaster/Kendal canal

Natland Hall Bridge is a canal bridge built in 1818 by William Crosley Jr. It is constructed from squared, coursed limestone and features a limestone string and coping. The bridge has a single elliptical arch made of rusticated voussoirs and a keystone, and it is approximately 10 feet wide between the parapets. The bridge is set into an embankment on the west side, and the canal is currently dry.

Historically, the Lancaster/Kendal canal was completed south from Tewitfield between 1792 and 1797 under the supervision of engineer John Rennie, who provided specifications for bridges that included battered and waisted abutments. After 1815, Thomas Fletcher oversaw the work north from Tewitfield, but progress was limited to the Hincaster tunnel until William Crosley Jr. was appointed in June 1817 to manage the construction from Hincaster to Kendal. Crosley’s specifications were similar to Rennie’s earlier designs but did not include the distinctive double keystones found in Rennie’s bridges. The contract for the bridges was awarded in 1817.