| Summary: | 'Devil's Backbone Bridge' or 'Old Bridge' over the River Avon, originally a packhorse bridge. Probably 17C, widened probably in 18C or early 19C. Stone rubble with dressed stone arch rings. Large single round arch of about 8m span. Originally a packhorse bridge of about 2m wide overall and possibly without parapets. In the 18C or early 19C it was widened by about lm on the upstream west side and parapets added on both sides. The original arch showing on the downstream east side has unchamfered double arch rings above which the later parapet is corbelled out on large rough slates; the parapet coping on this side is of stone rubble. On the west upstream side the arch ring is single and also unchamfered and the parapet has granite coping. The abutments splay out at either end of the bridge and are built on the exposed slate bedrock of the river banks. A 20C buttress on the east side of the north abutment. Reference: C Henderson and E Jervoise, Old Devon Bridges, para 26, plate 7. |
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