Pont Marquis

Location

Spanning the Afon Cefni, carrying the Trefdraeth to Llangaffo road, c. 3km ENE of Malltraeth.

History

Early to mid C19. In 1754 a proposal was put before parliament concerning Malltraeth and the marsh, and in 1790 an Act was passed empowering a Commission to raise money from local landowners to allow work to begin. Over £17,000 had been spent on the construction of the cob when, in the winter of 1791, the sea wall was breached. Because of disagreements no more work was carried out until an amending Act was passed in 1811, allowing up to £50,000 to be raised. Work carried out 1811-12 cost £44,000 and the breach was filled; by June 1812 a roadway between Newborough and Malltraeth could be built, passable in all states of the tide. In order to drain the marsh the course of the Afon Cefni was straightened, a new river channel dredged and retaining embankements built on either side (these were destroyed in a storm in winter 1826). There were then two main routes across the marsh, one between Newborough and Malltraeth, the other between Trefdraeth and Llangaffo; the first crossed a ford marked with a black stone, the second ford was marked with a white stone. Pont Marquis was built to replace the ford marked with a white stone, the bridge named after the Earl of Uxbridge, first Marquis of Anglesey.

Exterior

A roadbridge spanning the river and marsh drainage channels. A single wide span across the river with paired, flanking, flood arches; a single further flood arch to the N. The bridge is constructed of roughly dressed masonry laid to approximate courses, extended by the addition of a rubble parapet over a slightly advanced string course. Each span is a voussoir arch with slightly stressed keystone.

Reason for designation

Included as an important structural component of the long-term programme of work to drain the Malltraeth marsh. One of the larger early C19 rural road bridges, enhanced by a more formal masonry construction than is usual in Anglesey.