The Clopton Bridge is a

Late Medieval The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

masonry

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

with 14 pointed arches, located in Stratford-upon-Avon,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, which spans the River Avon, crossing at the place where the river was

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

ed in Saxon times, and which gave the town its name. The bridge is still in use carrying the

A3400 road The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A33 and M3 at Winchester in Hampshire, to the A6 and A6042 in Salford, close to Manchester City Centre. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to B ...

over the river, and is grade I listed. The bridge was built in around 1484, financed by Hugh Clopton of

Clopton House Clopton House is a 17th-century country mansion near Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, now converted into residential apartments. It is a Grade II* listed building. The Manor of Clopton was granted to the eponymous family in the 13th century and ...

, who later became

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional pow ...

. It replaced a timber bridge which was first mentioned in 1235, and which had been described by John Leland as "but a poore Bridge of Timber, and no causey ausewayto come to it", "very smaulle and ille, and at hygh waters very harde to passe by". Two arches were rebuilt in 1524. The bridge was again repaired in 1588 following flooding, and in 1642 after an arch had been destroyed to block the army of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

. In 1696, money was raised to heighten the

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...

s, which were as low as four inches in places. The bridge was widened on the north side (upstream) in 1811, and a ten-sided toll-house tower added in 1814. A

cast-iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

was added to the north side in 1827.Richards, J.M., ''The National Trust Book of Bridges'', Jonathan Cape, 1984, John Leland described the bridge as:Jervoise, E., ''The Ancient Bridges of Wales and Western England'', EP Publishing Ltd, 1976, , first published 1936

''a great and sumptuous Bridge upon Avon at the East Ende of the Towne, which hath 14 great Arches of Stone and long Causey made of Stone, low walled on each side, at the West Ende of the Bridge.''

The bridge is now a Grade I listed building and a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

References

External links

* The annotate
"Clopton Bridge"
English Folk Dance Bridges in Warwickshire Bridges completed in 1484 Arch bridges in the United Kingdom Scheduled monuments in Warwickshire Grade I listed buildings in Warwickshire Former toll bridges in England Buildings and structures in Stratford-upon-Avon 1484 establishments in England {{UK-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References

External links