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The Drygrange Old Bridge is a disused
It was built between 1776 and 1780 to a design by Scottish architect and engineer Alexander Stevens. It replaced a ferry as part of an improvement to a
The Old Bridge has a central span of , with two side spans of , and a smaller arch in the south abutment. The central arch has a rise of . The rounded cutwaters are carried up to the level of the roadway and are topped with angular pedestrian refuges.
Hollow spandrels reduce the weight of the structure, an innovation by Thomas Telford. The bridge has been modified by raising the level of the roadway on the approaches to make it more level, but the level of the original roadway can be seen in the string Course (architecture), course on the exterior of the bridge.
It is near to the Roman settlement of Trimontium (Newstead), Trimontium, which is to the south-west of the viaduct. To the west of the bridge is the Leaderfoot Viaduct, a disused railway viaduct, and to the east of the Old Bridge is its modern successor. This group of three bridges is sometimes known as Tripontium.
road bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
over the River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water ( gd, Abhainn Thuaidh, sco, Watter o Tweid, cy, Tuedd), is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the ...
near Melrose in the Scottish Borders.
History
It was built between 1776 and 1780 to a design by Scottish architect and engineer Alexander Stevens. It replaced a ferry as part of an improvement to a turnpike
Turnpike often refers to:
* A type of gate, another word for a turnstile
* In the United States, a toll road
Turnpike may also refer to:
Roads United Kingdom
* A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
road.
It was listed as a Category A listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
in 1971.
It carried the A68 over the Tweed until 1974 when it was replaced by a box girder bridge
A box girder bridge, or box section bridge, is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder normally comprises prestressed concrete, structural steel, or a composite of steel and re ...
to the east, engineered by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners was a British firm of consulting civil engineers, based at Queen Anne's Lodge, Queen Anne's Gate and subsequently Telford House, Tothill Street, Westminster, London, until 1974, when it relocated to Earley House, 427 ...
. The old bridge is not open to vehicles, but can be crossed by pedestrians and bicycles.
Design
The Old Bridge has a central span of , with two side spans of , and a smaller arch in the south abutment. The central arch has a rise of . The rounded cutwaters are carried up to the level of the roadway and are topped with angular pedestrian refuges.
Hollow spandrels reduce the weight of the structure, an innovation by Thomas Telford. The bridge has been modified by raising the level of the roadway on the approaches to make it more level, but the level of the original roadway can be seen in the string Course (architecture), course on the exterior of the bridge.
It is near to the Roman settlement of Trimontium (Newstead), Trimontium, which is to the south-west of the viaduct. To the west of the bridge is the Leaderfoot Viaduct, a disused railway viaduct, and to the east of the Old Bridge is its modern successor. This group of three bridges is sometimes known as Tripontium.
References
External links
{{River Tweed Bridges in the Scottish Borders Listed bridges in Scotland Category A listed buildings in the Scottish Borders Bridges across the River Tweed Bridges completed in 1780