Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Cresswell Bridge
Martletwy, Pembrokeshire, Wales
A Grade II listed building in Cresswell Bridge, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire, designated on 14 May 1970.
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Transport
- Date of designation
- 14 May 1970
- Locality
- Cresswell Bridge
- Community
- Martletwy
- Unitary authority
- Pembrokeshire
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.72874, -4.82411
- Cadw reference
- 5972
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1637 · The fourth table of England. Cornub. Devonia, Somerset etc. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Sheet 10. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. . (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1898 · 228 Haverfordwest (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 13. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Location
400 m N of Cresswell Quay, the bridge carries the lowest road crossing the tidal estuary of the Cresswell River. It is partly in Jeffreyston Community.
History
Possibly contemporary with the nearby ruined residence in Lawrenny, associated with Bishop Barlow, and if so perhaps of C16 origin. The arches may survive from the original structure.
The bridge was adopted as a County Bridge. The carriageway was raised and parapets rebuilt. The style of workmanship indicates that it may have been repaired by John Evans in the early years of the C18; the construction of the parapets is recognisably similar to other bridges by Evanns, such as Ford Bridge.
Exterior
A bridge in uncoursed hammer-dressed masonry of local sandstone, with two low segmental arches each of about 5 m span, and cutwaters both upstream and downstream. The voussoirs are deep and rough. The bridge crosses the stream at about 30 degrees. Above the cutwaters are pedestrian refuges with some additional corbelling (on the downstream side) to support them. Some masonry on the downstream side is apparently a repair, in a different stone.
The whole bridge including its long N approach is about 100 m in length, and 3.6 m wide between the parapets. The road is carried at a high level above the adjacent fields to be clear of the water level at spring high tide.
The bridge parapets have upright coping stones weathered outwards, and bond-stones into the mass of the parapets at intervals. There is a stile and steps down to the right bank below the bridge.
Reason for designation
Listed as a good example of a County Bridge as repaired C.1800, well preserved, and retaining earlier arches.
Nearby in the register
- Cresswell BridgeTransportunder 1 mi
- Cresswell Mill HouseDomesticunder 1 mi
- Cresswell Corn MillIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Cresswell Castle 100m W of Cresswell QuayHouse (domestic)under 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.