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Summary

Granite road bridge over Glaze Brook dated to the mid-19th century. There has been a bridge at this location since at least the 13th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1107400: GLAZE BROOK BRIDGE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/125
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 99338

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROAD BRIDGE (Built, XIX - 1835 AD to 1875 AD)

Full description

Robinson, R., Ugborough (Worksheet). SDV160162.

Road Bridge over Glaze Brook on the parish boundary with South Brent. The bridge carries the old Exeter-Plymouth road, at one time a turnpike, across the Glaze Brook. It is now a modern style structure, in stone evenly coursed. Single arch, segmental, with stone parapets. The span is 4.978 meters, the width of road between parapets is 5.486 meters. It is a county bridge, which was rebuilt in or after 1809 by the then county engineer, James Green (contract at Devon Record Office, Exeter). James green's report on the state of the bridges; second general survey report of 11th July 1809, states that many bridges had been damaged in recent floods. "Glaze Brook, South Brent. This bridge situated on the great road between Exeter and Plymouth has been so much injured or rather is so much decayed and broken up, that it has been found necessary to erect a temporary bridge until the opinion of the magistrates with respect to rebuilding it be known". Green's first report dated 10th January 1809 paragraph 180: "Glaze Brook, South Brent. One arch of 14 feet span, walls extending about 40 feet on each side built and coped with rough granite. Roadway about 10 feet graveled (sic). All in good repair. This bridge, for so great a road as that between Exeter and Plymouth is too narrow and the parapet walls very low and dangerous; it has however answered the purpose many years and may continue to do so yet". Whitakers survey of bridges 1854-1860 includes Glaze Brook Bridge, with plan and elevation. This shows a single arch, segmental bridge, with walls extending on each side. All built in stone blocks laid regularly. The span is given as 4.877 meters and the scale drawing puts the centre of the arch about 3.048 meters above the water level on the plan. The plan also shows a boundary stone (?county stone) placed west of the bridge, in Ugborough parish, on the south side of the road. This stone appears to have been removed in fairly recent times. Stone marked on Ordnance Survey SX65 north-east on north side of road.

Robinson, R., 1978, South Brent (Worksheet). SDV160163.

There has been a bridge on this site, over the River Glaze on the western parish boundary since at least the 13th century. The earliest dated mention of its being a county bridge in the documents at the county Record Office is 1787. Since 1755 it was carrying the traffic of the Plymouth to Exeter turnpike road. In July 1809 it was rebuilt and still remains as it was then. The specification states that the said bridge shall consist of one elliptical arch of 16 feet span and rising 5 feet from the springing thereof. And that the roadway shall be 18 feet wide between the parapet walls. The stone shall be the best fine grained moorstone fine dressed and square jointed and laid in perfect horizontal and parallel courses and that the bed joints and abutments of the wing walls shall be rusticated. The parapet is to be 3 feet 6 inches high. The above description remains substantially correct. The underside of the arch is curiously ribbed. No traces of the former bridge remain in the footings or the abutments.

Department of Environment, 1986, South Brent, 44 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV178295.

Road bridge over stream (Glaze Brook) dating to around the mid 19th century, constructed from granite ashlar with rusticated granite segmental arch. String course. Parapet curved outwards over the abutments with chamfered coping. There has been a bridge here since the early Middle Ages. The present bridge is different from that described by James Green in early 19th century and it is assumed that this bridge must be of approximately mid 19th century date.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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