Pont Rhyd-Llanfair

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of a post-medieval/modern bridge. It is of an interesting and attractive design, with abutments which curve away from the carriageway at either end, presenting a concave external face. There is an abrupt step in the alignment where these abutments meet the straight stretch containing the main arch, with the walls flanking the straight stretch being about 0.3m nearer the centre on each side than the abutment walls. This produces an external angle at each side, which is carried down the whole face of the bridge, and an internal angle towards the carriageway. On the north, more recent walls have been butted into these angles, continuing the line of the central parapet and flanking the carriageway more closely than the abutment walls, which nonetheless survive. The stretch of later wall on the north-west appears to have been rebuilt. On the south, the abutment walls are more readily seen in their original state. Some of the parapet capping stones have been replaced with good stone and are pinned in with bronze strips. The original stones are flaking, and some of the metal seals between them are standing proud. Sets of four holes are also visible which look as though they held some sort of fixing plates between the stones at an earlier stage.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of post-medieval/modern bridge construction.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.