Road Bridge over River Wye

Cadw's description

Location

Continuing the line of Bridge Street. Aligned almost due north/south, crossing a bend in the River Wye, here the boundary between Wales and England. The N part of the bridge is in England.

History

Built 1816. John Rennie (best known for his designs for Waterloo, Southwark and London Bridges) originally provided two designs, one for strengthening an existing bridge, one for rebuilding. The eventual design built however, adapted from Rennie, was by John Urpeth Raistrick of Haseldine and Raistrick of Bridgnorth. Water colour drawings of the designs and the report are held by Chepstow Museum. Raistrick specialised as an engine engineer and advised Brunel. Central span strengthened in 1889 by placing steel box-girder ribs under the 3 cast iron ribs. Foundations strengthened 1914 by driving concrete piles into the river bed. Further strengthened in C20. A plaque recording high tide in 1880s is low down on the right bridge abutment.

Exterior

Iron road bridge across river. A graceful structure comprising five spans; two 10m, two 21m, and the centre one, 34m. Carriageway 3m wide with 1m footways. The bridge comprises cast metal arches with struts 5 deep, braced together on high, long and narrow piers of coursed roughly dressed sandstone; parapet of close-set slender open railings incorporating decorative scrollwork panels and date "Anno Domini 1816", with lettering "Monmouth" and "Gloucester", scrollwork supports to lamps; abutments are of ashlar with bands at road and pier level.

Reason for designation

Graded I as an important early C19 iron bridge of elegant design by a prominent engineer. Group value with the listed items in Bridge Street and The Back