Chetwynd Bridge
Two arches of a metal bridge separated by a stone pillar; the metalwork is painted red with cream details
Two arches of the bridge seen from the riverbank
Coordinates52°43′21″N 1°43′23″W / 52.7226°N 1.72308°W / 52.7226; -1.72308
CarriesA513 road
CrossesRiver Tame
LocaleAlrewas, Staffordshire, England
Maintained byStaffordshire County Council
Heritage statusGrade II* listed building
Characteristics
MaterialCast iron
No. of spans3
Piers in water1
History
Constructed byJoseph Potter
Opened1824
Location

Chetwynd Bridge (also known as Salter's Bridge) is a three-arch cast-iron bridge in Staffordshire, England. It carries the A513 road over the River Tame between Edingale and Alrewas in Staffordshire, England. It was completed in 1824 and is a Grade II* listed building.

Design

The bridge was built in 1824. It has three segmental arches spanning the river, supported by rusticated ashlar pillars. The spandrels (the space between the arch and the bridge deck) have decorative X-shaped latticework. The abutments sweep round to form buttresses; the intermediate piers are in a similar style. The two outside spans are 65 feet (20 metres) wide and the central span is 75 feet (23 metres). The bridge is oriented roughly north–south and the northernmost span is over dry land.[1][2]

The bridge was designed by Joseph Potter, a local architect and builder and the county surveyor for Staffordshire.[1] Potter likely learnt to build with cast iron while working under Thomas Telford, including on the Harecastle Tunnel. The bridge was cast by the Coalbrookdale Company in Shropshire, famous for The Iron Bridge (the first substantial cast-iron bridge in the world). The same company cast High Bridge over the River Trent in nearby Mavesyn Ridware, also to Potter's design.[3][4]

History

The bridge is believed to be the largest surviving pre-1830 cast-iron bridge in England and the second-largest in the world.[5]

The bridge is a Grade II* listed building, first listed in 1953, a status which provides legal protection from demolition or unauthorised modification.[1] A condition survey in 1979 revealed significant corrosion and fracturing of the metalwork; repairs were completed in 1983.[2] After a deterioration in the condition of the ironwork was noticed, the bridge was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2022. Amey and Staffordshire County Council (the owner of the bridge) carried out restoration work over a period of eight months, beginning in June 2022, which won several awards from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. As a result, the bridge was removed from the at-risk register.[5][6][7] A weight limit of 18 tonnes (18,000 kg) was imposed to prevent further deterioration, which was later reduced to 7.5 tonnes (7,500 kg). In 2023, barriers were installed to prevent large vehicles from using the bridge after concerns that many heavy vehicles were ignoring signs warning of the restriction. As of 2023, the council planned to build a new bridge and bypass road to divert vehicle traffic and reserve Chetwynd Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists.[8][9]

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Cossons, Neil; Trinder, Barrie (2002). The Iron Bridge: Symbol of the Industrial Revolution (Second ed.). Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 9781860772306.
  • Cragg, Roger (2010). Civil Engineering Heritage: West Midlands. Andover: Phillimore. ISBN 9781860775727.
  • Ruddock, Ted (1979). Arch Bridges and Their Builders: 1735 - 1835. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521218160.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Chetwynd Bridge (1038893)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 Cragg, p. 86.
  3. ↑ Cossons & Trinder, p. 80.
  4. ↑ Ruddock, p. 169.
  5. 1 2 Butterfield, Gareth (28 May 2023). "Controversial bridge restoration that had farmers up in arms wins raft of awards". Staffordshire Live. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Home of Gunpowder plotter among historic sites at risk". BBC News. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Grade II listed Alrewas bridge restoration work starts". BBC News. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "New restriction to protect 200-year-old Alrewas bridge". BBC News. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "New weight restriction for Grade II listed Alrewas bridge". BBC News. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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