See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Three span road bridge over the River Tamar which was originally built circa 1833 with the centre arch being rebuilt using the original materials in 1934-5.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1142732: Polson Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX38SE/47
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BRIDGE (Built, XIX to XX - 1830 AD to 1935 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, CITING "OLD CORNISH BRIDGES", "LAUNCESTON PAST & PRESENT" + PETERS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253043.

Present structure is a mid-victorian rebuild, although 3 arches of the earlier bridge survive on the cornish side. The original was probably the first great bridge in cornwall and would have existed in 12c. It ws rebuilt before 1478 and documentary evidence exists from 1337. It may have been one of the bridges "pulled up" in a civil war action in july 1644 (nmr, citing "old cornish bridges", "launceston past & present" + peters).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253045.

Pye, a. R. /a30 okehampton bypass to launceston bypass archaeological assessment part 2:archaeological evaluation of sourton down/(1990)4/(emafu report 90.34).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253046.

Doe/hhr:lifton/(7/11/1985)71.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253047.

Nmr=sx38se20.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253048.

Old cornish bridges/(1928)46-8.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253049.

Robbins, a. F. /launceston past + present/(1884).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253050.

Peters, r. + o. B. /history of launceston & dunheved/(1885)149, 185-6, 195, 204.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253051.

Gover, j. E. B. + mawer, a. + stenton, f. M. /the place-names of devon/(1931)190.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV253052.

Worksheet(goodyear,afu)/(1990).

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV335311.

Road bridge over the river tamar. Circa late 19c/early 20c. Granite ashlar. Three span bridge with parapets and pilasters, the central arch elliptical with rusticated voussoir, the flanking arches smaller and segmental. String course at road level (doe).

Pye, A., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV7765.

Polson bridge was first documented in 1338. Carried the medieval london to st. Ives road (modern a30) across the tamar (pye).

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One (Monograph). SDV1312.

See subsheet for alternatiive site of original bridge. Polson. Nb: polson bridge crosses the tamar between devon and cornwall. 'pouleston brigge' is first mentioned in a document of 1338 and again as 'polstun bridge' in c.1550 by leland. The medieval form suggests that the original vowel was long. The name may therefore be a compound of 'pool' and 'stone' possibly referring to some stone here by the river marking the county boundary between devon and cornwall (mawer et al).

Truscott, R., 2010, Polson Bridge, 135-152 (Article in Serial). SDV361664.

A history of the repair and rebuilding of Polson Bridge from 1447.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1142732 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Polson Bridge. Three span road bridge carrying A388 (previously A30) over River Tamar. Circa 1833, centre arch rebuilt using original materials 1934-5. Granite ashlar with slate-stone rubble abutments and granite coping. Central wide segmental arch with pointed voussoirs struck through to soffit flanked by narrower segmental arches. Flat string course with projecting rectangular pier to either side of centre arch continues to abutments. Abutments on south bank of river have segmental floodwater arches, that on west side with projecting keystones to arches and triangular cutwater between. Spans the River Tamar, which here forms the boundary between the parishes of Lawhitton Rural (Cornwall), Launceston (Cornwall) and Lifton (Devon). Built on the site of a medieval bridge on the principal route into Cornwall. Henderson and Coates 1928 p.46-48. Date given 1851.

The asset was previously listed twice also at List entry 1326331. That entry was removed from the List on 22 September 2016.

This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 22 September 2016.
[In Name, Location and Description:-
Removal of “(that part in Lawhitton Rural)” or “(that part in Lawhitton Rural CP)”
The following edits were made to the Description in the light of text in the delisted entry:-
“Over River Tamar. A.388 is shown on OS map as A.30. Bridge.” Corrected to read “Three span road bridge carrying A388 (previously A30) over River Tamar.”
The following corrections/additions/deletions to the Description were made:-
“parishes of Lawhitton Rural, Launceston and Lifton (Devon)” Corrected to read “parishes of Lawhitton Rural (Cornwall), Launceston (Cornwall) and Lifton (Devon)”
“principal route into cornwall” Corrected to read “principal route into Cornwall”
The following text was removed from the Description as it also appears in the Selected Sources:-
“(W G V Balchin, The Cornish Landscape (1983, pp. 177-8) Old Cornish Bridges”
This text was added to the Description:-
“The asset was previously listed twice also at List entry 1326331. That entry was removed from the List on 22 September 2016.”
“This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 22 September 2016.”
The GIS triangle depiction was moved slightly from SX3555784908 to SX3556384920. Thus placing it on the parish boundary between Lawhitton Rural, in Cornwall and Lifton, in West Devon which passes through the building. The grid reference was removed from the Details text.]

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.