Chain Bridge (partly in Gobion Fawr community)

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on B4598 Abergavenny to Usk road, bridging the Usk just N of the Chain Bridge Inn. Partly in Llanover C.

History

Steel arched bridge over the River Usk of 1905-6. Two big parallel arched latticed girders from which roadway is suspended by iron rods. Plaque records that it was opened on 26/7/1906, J.J. Webster MICE Engineer, William Tanner FSI County Surveyor, George Palmer of Neath, Contractor. Another plaque records that it was repaired in 1999 by Monmouthshire County Council. The bridge replaces a suspension bridge of c1830, from which the name remains.

Exterior

Road bridge over the River Usk. Painted steel single span bridge with bowed lattice-girder arches from which iron rods descend to carry fish-belly pierced iron girders under road deck. The two bowed trusses are connected over the roadway by 2 lattice girder spans. Iron decorative rails with moulded plinth, square posts, oval and circle pattern rails, and moulded handrail. End rubble stone piers with dentiled cornices under parapet level. Parapet has panelled sandstone ashlar long piers each end with moulded cornices and caps, commemorative bronze panels fixed to W piers. Short lengths of coped squared rubble stone wall each end.

Reason for designation

Included an impressive example of early C20 bridge-building technology.