Quarry Bridge (Canal Bridge no 96)

Quarry Bridge, also known as Canal Bridge number 96, is a canal bridge dating from the early 19th century. It forms part of the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal, which was promoted in 1792 to connect the upper Usk valley to the Monmouthshire Canal and subsequently to the sea at Newport. Construction began in 1797, although the section containing the bridge was not completed until 1809, under the direction of engineer William Crosley. The canal was vital for trade in iron, lime, and coal and was later incorporated into the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Company, and then bought by the Great Western Railway before its abandonment in 1962. Restoration work commenced in 1964 and is ongoing.

The bridge is of a 'change-over' type, designed to return the towpath to the north side after it had been diverted to the south for the construction of Govilon Wharf. It is a single-arch structure built of randomly-coursed rubble with flat segmental arches and keystones. The bridge features ramped parapets with dressed stone coping that sweep out to each corner. It has a single-track cobbled deck. An iron post remains in place, though a Great Western Railway sign is missing. A disused sandstone quarry, Govilon Quarry, lies to the south. The bridge is listed for its importance as a surviving example of an early 19th-century Brecknock and Abergavenny canal ‘change-over’ bridge.