Listed Building record MDO13572 - Town Bridge, Bridge Street, Sturminster Newton

Bridge of about 1500, widened in the seventeenth century. Six pointed arches built of ashlar and squared rubble, originals visible beneath the seventeenth century additions. Pointed cutwaters between arches, those at the centre being corbelled out to support pedestrian refuges. It bears a plaque warning that the penalty for malicious damage to the bridge may be transportation for life.

TOWN BRIDGE (78451355), about 1/4 m. S.W. of the church, spans the Stour with six arches of ashlar and squared rubble, 18 ft. wide and 120 ft. in total length (Plate 51). It is of late 15th or early 16th-century origin, and it was widened in the 17th century. The original arches, which carried a road about 12 ft. wide, are seen from both sides of the bridge behind the 17th-century additions; they are two-centred, with chamfered ashlar archivolts ending in run-out stops at springing level. The arches are slightly gradated. The added 17th-century arches are segmental-pointed and spring from corbelled spring-courses inserted above the cut-waters of the original piers. Between each pair of arches the points of the cut-waters are carried up to road level. The central cut-waters are larger than the others and are corbelled out at the top to support pedestrian refuges on both sides of the road. <2>

ST 78451357. Town Bridge (Name in local usage), and the arched Causeway (at ST 78471365) remain as described by RCHM (2). Both structures are in an excellent state of preservation. (Se photographs) <3>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 6 inches to 1 mile, 1962 (Map). SDO17338.

(ST 78451357) Town Bridge (NAT)

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 271 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(3) TOWN BRIDGE (78451355), about ¼ m. S.W. of the church, spans the Stour with six arches of ashlar and squared rubble, 18 ft. wide and 120 ft. in total length (Plate 51). It is of late 15th or early 16th-century origin, and it was widened in the 17th century. The original arches, which carried a road about 12 ft. wide, are seen from both sides of the bridge behind the 17th-century additions; they are two-centred, with chamfered ashlar archivolts ending in run-out stops at springing level. The arches are slightly gradated. The added 17th-century arches are segmental-pointed and spring from corbelled string-courses inserted above the cut-waters of the original piers. Between each pair of arches the points of the cut-waters are carried up to road level. The central cut-waters are larger than the others and are corbelled out at the top to support pedestrian refuges on both sides of the road. The level of the roadway is marked on the sides of the bridge by weathered and hollow-chamfered string-courses; above these are squared rubble parapets with weathered coping. To improve the entrances to the bridge, the parapet walls at each end curve outwards and are supported on half-arches; this improvement is probably of the 18th century. Two cut-waters to the N. of the central pier on the W. face are larger thatn the others and one of them is dated 1827.'

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 407 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 GB 12-AUG-78 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Caroe and Partners, 2012, Sturminster Newton: Town Bridge. Archaeological Survey (Unpublished document). SDO15583.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/1A (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW FROM EAST. LATE 15TH CENT - EARLY 16TH CENT BRIDGE, WIDENED IN 17TH CENTURY

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/2A (Index). SDO14738.

CAUSEWAY FROM EAST

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/3A (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW FROM EAST

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/4A (Index). SDO14738.

WESTERN SIDE

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/5A (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW FROM WEST

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/6A (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW FROM WEST

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/7A (Index). SDO14738.

DETAIL OF NOTICE, ON DOWNSTREAM PEDESTRIAN REFUGE

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS78/F48/8A (Index). SDO14738.

NORTH BANK ARCH - UPSTREAM SIDE

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202248 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 3:14PM