Wye Bridge, Monmouth
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The Wye Bridge in
Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...
is a bridge across the
River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of Wal ...
. The
A466 The A466, also known as the Wye Valley Road, is a road from Hereford, England to Chepstow, Wales via Monmouth, Tintern and the Wye Valley. The road was largely developed during the late 18th and early 19th centuries by turnpike trusts in Herefo ...
passes over it and immediately meets the A40 at its western end. The bridge is a grade II
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 ...
. The total span of the bridge is .Alan Crow, ''Bridges on the River Wye'', Lapridge Publications, 1995, , Page 136


History

The original wooden bridge was built in the Middle Ages; there is a clear reference to it in the fourteenth century. Earlier references to a bridge at Monmouth may refer either to a bridge over the Wye or to the fortified bridge over the
Monnow The River Monnow ( cy, Afon Mynwy) marks the England–Wales border for much of its length. After flowing through southwest Herefordshire, England, and eastern Monmouthshire, Wales, its confluence with the River Wye is approximately south of ...
,M.L.J. Richards, ''Monnow Bridge and Gate'', Alan Sutton Publishing, 1994, , pp.1–2 although local historian
Keith Kissack Keith Edward Kissack MBE (18 November 1913 – 31 March 2010) was a British schoolteacher and historian. He is notable for his many publications on the history of Monmouth and Monmouthshire. Life Kissack was born in Clun, Shropshire, to Rev. ...
wrote that the bridge was known to exist in 1282 when it formed a boundary with the
Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the n ...
. It was completely rebuilt in stone in the early seventeenth century (1615–17). At that time, tolls were collected from all those crossing the bridge. A plaque on the parapet records the widening of the bridge on both sides in 1878–80 under the architect
Edwin Seward Edwin Seward (1853–1924) was an architect based in Cardiff, Wales. Biography Born in Somerset, Seward came to Cardiff aged 16 and studied at the School of Art. He began work as an assistant to architect G. E. Robinson. Seward was one of th ...
of
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, stating, ''This bridge was widened 1879 from designs by the
County Surveyor A county surveyor is a public official in the United Kingdom and the United States. United Kingdom Webb & Webb describe the increasing chaos that began to prevail within this same period in field of county surveying in England and Wales, with c ...
, David Roberts Contractor''. The bridge is built of red and buff
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...
. It has five arched spans with the original pointed arches visible beneath, but with both faces covered by segmental arches carried on the sharply pointed
cutwater In architecture, a starling (or sterling) is a defensive bulwark, usually built with pilings or bricks, surrounding the supports (or piers) of a bridge or similar construction. Starlings may be shaped to ease the flow of the water around the brid ...
s.The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Wye Bridge, Monmouth
Accessed 4 January 2012


Routes

The bridge is a crossing for the Wye but it is also the start of the
Wysis Way The Wysis Way is an walking route which forms a link between the Offa's Dyke Path and Thames Path national trails in the United Kingdom. The Way runs between Monmouth in Wales and Kemble, Gloucestershire in England. Route detail Starting fro ...
which is a long footpath that connects Monmouth to the Kemble in Gloucestershire and to other National footpaths.


Gallery

Image:A466 crosses the Wye - geograph.org.uk - 618248.jpg, A466 crosses the Wye Bridge, view towards
Monmouth School Monmouth School for Boys is a public school (independent day and boarding school) for boys in Monmouth, Wales. The school was founded in 1614 with a bequest from William Jones, a successful merchant and trader. The School is run as a trust, t ...
Image:The Wye Bridge, Monmouth - geograph.org.uk - 604148.jpg, Close up of an arch of the Wye bridge Image:Monmouth Wye Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 288968.jpg, Plaque on the bridge: This bridge was widened in A.D 1879 Image:1930's Postcard of Wye Bridge Monmouth.jpg, postcard of the Wye Bridge in the 1930s File:Monmouth - Wye Bridge & Wye Bridge Street.jpg File:Monmouth 1910 Wye Bridge.jpg, 1910 Postcard depicting the Wye Bridge before 1890 after which the school expanded and demolished the Watermans Arms Public House File:Monmouth_raft_race.jpg, a view of Monmouth raft race from the bridge, 1960s


See also

*
List of crossings of the River Wye Crossings of the River Wye in the UK cover the whole length of the from its source to the River Severn. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales. The lower Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natur ...
*
List of bridges in Wales This list of bridges in Wales lists bridges of particular historical, scenic, architectural or engineering interest in Wales. Road and railway bridges, viaducts, aqueducts and footbridges are included. List Bridges are listed under the names us ...


References


External links


Painting ''Wye Bridge and the Barkhouse, Monmouth'' by J. A. Evans, 19th century
{{Buildings in Monmouth Bridges in Monmouthshire Bridges across the River Wye Grade II listed bridges in Wales Grade II listed buildings in Monmouthshire Buildings and structures in Monmouth, Wales Former toll bridges in Wales Stone bridges in the United Kingdom