Wilton Bridge is a
Grade I listed bridge crossing the
River Wye between
Wilton, Herefordshire
Wilton is a village in south Herefordshire, England just under a mile west of the market town of Ross-on-Wye.
In 1100, Henry I set up three royal manors in Herefordshire, including the manor of Wilton. This included a number of surrounding vill ...
and
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye ( Welsh: ''Rhosan ar Wy'') is a market town in England, near the border with Wales. It had a population of 10,582 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 11,309 in 2019. It lies in south-eastern Herefordshire, on the River Wye ...
,
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...
,
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 ...
.
History
The bridge was authorised in 1597 and completed two years later. One of the arches was destroyed during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. The bridge was widened and reinforced with concrete in 1914.
A
sundial was added in the early 18th century.
Sundial
The sundial was commissioned by Jonathan Barrow in 1718.
It has an eroded inscription which was recorded by the
RCHM as reading
Esteem they precious time
Which pass so swift away
Prepare thee for eternity
And do not make delay.
The sundial was featured in a 1905 published poem by C. M. Paine.
On Wilton Bridge o’er restless Wye
A moss-grown pillar lifts on high
A dial quaint, on whose worn face
Whoever will may pause and trace
Its message to the passer-by.
It shows life’s hours like shadows fly:
Gives counsel wise all should apply;
So lighter thoughts to grave give place
On Wilton Bridge.
Placed where much beauty charms the eye,
These piers both Time and tide defy,
Builded of old with massive grace.
And though men pass with hurried pace.
Content to rest and dream am I –
On Wilton Bridge.[
]
See also
*
List of crossings of the River Wye
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{Citation , title = Gloucester & Forest of Dean 162 (Landranger Maps) , publisher = ]Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745. There was a ...
, year = 2011 , edition = C3 , isbn = 978-0-319-22911-8
[
{{Cite web , title = British Listed Buildings - Wilton Bridge and Sundial , publisher = British Listed Buildings , url = http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-398891-wilton-bridge-and-sundial-that-part-in-b , access-date = 2011-05-02
]
[
{{Cite web , title = Herefordshire Through Time - Monument Detail - Wilton Bridge , publisher = ]Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire Council is the local government authority for the county of Herefordshire in England. It is a unitary authority, combining the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district.
History
The council was formed on 1 April 1998 followi ...
, url = http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/htt/smrSearch/Monuments/Monument_Item.aspx?ID=903 , access-date = 2011-05-02
Grade I listed bridges
Grade I listed buildings in Herefordshire
Bridges across the River Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Bridges in Herefordshire