Avoncliff Aqueduct () carries the
Kennet and Avon Canal over the
River Avon and the
Bath to
Westbury railway, at
Avoncliff
Avoncliff is a small village in west Wiltshire, England, in the north of Westwood parish about southwest of Bradford-on-Avon.
It is the point at which the Kennet and Avon canal crosses the river and railway line via the Avoncliff Aqueduct, w ...
in Wiltshire, England, about west of
Bradford-on-Avon
Bradford-on-Avon (sometimes Bradford on Avon or Bradford upon Avon) is a town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England, near the border with Somerset, which had a population of 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, s ...
. It was built by
John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801. It is a
Grade II* listed structure.
During construction, stone from a local quarry was used which split when affected by frost. This caused
buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral ( ...
es to collapse and parts of the structure to need rebuilding. Eventually
Bath stone from
Bathampton Down
Bathampton Down is a flat limestone plateau in Bathampton, Somerset, England, overlooking the River Avon and the city of Bath. There is evidence of man's activity at the site since the Mesolithic period including Bathampton Camp, an Iron Age hi ...
was used to ensure greater stability.
The
aqueduct has three arches and is long, with a central elliptical arch of 60 ft (18.3 m) span, and two semicircular side arches each 34 ft (10.4 m) across, all with V-jointed arch stones. The spandrel and wing walls are built in alternate courses of ashlar masonry and rock-faced blocks. The central span sagged soon after it was built and has been repaired many times.
As part of the 20th-century restoration of the canal, the aqueduct was lined with a concrete "cradle" and made watertight in 1980.
Gallery
File:Avoncliff.JPG, Crossing the Avoncliff Aqueduct
File:Avoncliff Aqueduct.JPG, View from Avoncliff railway station
Avoncliff railway station serves the hamlet of Avoncliff in Wiltshire, England, together with the nearby villages of Westwood and Winsley, and Turleigh hamlet. It is next to the Kennet and Avon Canal and almost adjacent to the Avoncliff Aqued ...
File:avoncliff aqueduct in wiltshire england arp.jpg, The aqueduct seen from the Bradford-on-Avon
Bradford-on-Avon (sometimes Bradford on Avon or Bradford upon Avon) is a town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England, near the border with Somerset, which had a population of 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, s ...
side, with the River Avon beneath
See also
*
Dundas Aqueduct
*
List of canal aqueducts in Great Britain
This list of canal aqueducts in the United Kingdom covers aqueducts that have articles in Wikipedia. The actual number of canal aqueducts is much greater.
See also
* :Aqueducts in the United Kingdom
* Navigable aqueduct
*Canals of the Unit ...
References
Kennet and Avon Canal
Bridges completed in 1805
Navigable aqueducts in England
Grade II* listed buildings in Wiltshire
Grade II* listed canals
Grade II* listed bridges in England
1805 establishments in England
Bridges across the River Avon, Bristol
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