Chain Bridge (partly in Llanarth community)

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the B4598 Abergavenny to Usk road, bridging the Usk just north of the Chain Bridge Inn. The bridge is partly in Gwehelog Fawr Community.

History

Road bridge over the River Usk built 1905-6 (dated). A 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. A second plaque records that it was repaired in 1999 by Monmouthshire County Council. The bridge replaced a suspension bridge of c1830 and still retains the original name.

Exterior

Painted steel single arch bridge with paired bowstring lattice girder arches from which iron rods descend to carry fish bellied pierced iron girders under road deck. The two bowed trusses are connected over the roadway by two lattice girder spans. Decorative iron rails with moulded plinth, square posts, oval and circle pattern rails and moulded handrail. End rubblestone piers with dentilled cornices and caps, commemorative bronze panels fixed to west piers. Short length of coped squared rubblestone wall at each end. The very altered tollhouse from the previous bridge remains at the Llanover end of the bridge.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as an impressive example of early C20 bridge building technology that is also a fairly rare example of a bowstring girder road bridge.