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Summary

Swing accommodation bridge, one of five along the Grand Western Canal. The original timber deck has been replaced with a steel one.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST01SW/109

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BRIDGE (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV40159.

Swing accommodation bridge. One of five along the grand western canal. The original timber deck has been replaced with a steel one (dcc).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV46061.

Des=dcc/unlisted buildings on the grand western canal, devon/submission to dnh/(-/10/1992)/(ch/hbc/md) copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV46062.

Des=cox, j. /the history of the grand western canal/(undated)12/in sampford peverell pf.

Dodd, D., 2006, Historic Buildings and Structures Along the Waterways: Grand Western Canal in Devon, 5 (Report - Interim). SDV351654.

Valley House Bridge. Accommodation bridge, originally wood.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Passmore, A., 2014, Stop Gate at Swing Bridge, Grand Western Canal, Devon: Results of Archaeological Recording (Report - Excavation). SDV356611.

Swing Bridge is located northeast of Halberton and provides access from a lane off High Street to farmland situated to the north of the canal. The recorded gate at Swing Bridge, along with others along the canal, is of the stop gate type. On the Grand Western Canal they were located in pairs either side of bridges.

Davenport, P + Crees, G., 2014, The Grand Western Canal, Halberton, Devon: Interpretative Earthwork Survey, Photographic, Survey and Watching Brief, 7, 9-11; Figures 3-11 (Report - non-specific). SDV356472.

At the western end of the survey area is the Swing Bridge. It has been known by this name since at least 1889 when it was illustrated on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map, though the canal engineer termed it Valley House Bridge in 1889. The bridge serves to facilitate landowners’ access to fields split by the canal rather than the crossing of a public road. The bridge deck itself is modern, but of similar form to that shown on the 1889 engineer’s notes. As it exists today, it is a high level fixed crossing, allowing boats to pass under. A small area in the top centre of the southern abutment seems to have had stone blocks removed and replaced, and it is possible that the alteration and the existence of a corbel on the north side indicates that the bridge did swing, there is no sign in the present structure that a low level horizontally-pivoted Swing Bridge ever existed.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6456 - Survey of Section of the Grand Western Canal near Halberton (Ref: 4408)
• EDV6458 - Photographic Survey on a Section of the Grand Western Canal, Halberton (Ref: 4408)

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