Pont Hendre-isaf (partly in Ysbyty Ifan)

Cadw's description

Location

The bridge carries the road over the Afon Conwy on the W edge of the community, spanning the boundary with Ysbyty Ifan.

History

The London to Holyhead Road was re-aligned and improved by Thomas Telford, engineer, from 1819 with a view to improving communications between London and Dublin. The poor state of the road to Ireland had excercised Parliament from before 1810, and a survey was commissioned from Telford in 1811. Monies granted following the setting up of a commission in 1815, but the work on this section did not take place until after the opening of the Menai Bridge, and the construction of the 32.186km Anglesey section in 1828. Telford designed the road formation and bridges, and provided details of ancillary structures including tollhouses and milestones. This bridge was probably erected c1820 to the instructions and detail of Thomas Telford to carry the Holyhead Road over the Afon Conwy, a major obstacle on the route.

Exterior

Rubble stonework. A single segmental arch spanning 10.8m between canalised stone abutments, comprising a single ring of 0.65m deep voussoirs rising to a soffit of 5.8m above water level to a horizontal square string at the base of the flush parapet. This has a stone-on-edge coping, ending in small square piers. The abutment wall outside the span of the arch is slightly battered at the base. The carriageway is level, 6.7m wide between parapets 0.5m each side.

Reason for designation

Included as an example of engineering by Thomas Telford, a leading civil engineer, of the early C19, at which time was becoming more important to obtain a level carriageway.