Dolauhirion Bridge (Welsh: ''Pont Dolauhirion'') is a single arch stone bridge which carries road traffic from
Llandovery
Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon.
Histo ...
to
Cilycwm
Cilycwm ( cy, Cil-y-cwm, ) is a village and parish located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The community population taken at the 2011 census was 487.
Cilycwm lies on the west bank of Afon Gwenlais, a tributary of the Tywi, north of the town of Lla ...
over the River Towy (Welsh: ''Afon Tywi'') in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a grade I listed structure. At the time the bridge was built the road was the main coach road from Llandovery to Lampeter.
Various wooden bridges had stood at the site until the present stone bridge was built in 1773 by the minister and bridge builder
William Edwards William Edwards may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*William Edwards (architect) (1719–1789), Welsh architect of the Pontypridd bridge in south Wales
*William Camden Edwards (1777–1855), Welsh engraver
*William Augustus Edwards (1866–1939), ...
. He had built several single arch stone bridges in Wales, particularly at
Pontypridd
() (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Geography
comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...
, where he had constructed what was then the biggest single arch (140 feet (43 metres)) in the world. The Dolauhirion bridge has a span of 83 feet (30 metres) and a carriageway width of 12 feet (4 metres) with parapets. Typical of Edward's designs the bridge has circular openings in the haunches, which relieve stress on the main structure in times of flood, and reduce weight and thus pressure on the arch.
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References
{{coord, 52.0091, -3.8039, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Bridges in Carmarthenshire
Grade I listed buildings in Carmarthenshire
Grade I listed bridges in Wales
Bridges over the River Towy
Stone bridges in the United Kingdom
Llandovery