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Summary

Bridge over the River Dart dating to the 14th or 15th century, widened in the early 19th and 20th centuries.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1280217: DART BRIDGE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX76NW24
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444846
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NW/4
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 375995
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 392257
• Old SAM County Ref: 145
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 91320

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROAD BRIDGE (Built, XIV to Late 20th Century - 1400 AD (Between) to 1999 AD (Between))

Full description

WIDT 14M, ORIGINAL WIDT 11M, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310480.

Bridge(widt 14m, original widt 11m).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310481.

Dart bridge; a stone bridge with 4 round arches. The piers are thick and massive and show remains of well cut masonry. This is the main crossing to buckfast abbey and there must have been a bridge here from early days. The present structure seems to date from the 15th century or early 16th century, though it may incorporate some earlier work. The bridge was widened on both sides during the 19th century. In 1374 an indulgence of 40 days was granted by the bishop of exeter for building and repairs to the bridge.1827; woolmans exeter and plymouth gazette; "a considerable improvement has been effected in the road from ashburton to buckfastleigh, particularly in the neighbourhood of dart bridge, the approaches to which are in a state of rapid improvement and the bridge itself is intended to be widened from 2.4 to 6m.

AM, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310486.

Formerly scheduled under dv145. Descheduled july 2002 under sm91320 (am).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310488.

Pearse chope, r. /dcnq/14(1926-1927)94/early bridges.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310489.

Radford, c.(ed. )/tda/65(1933)79/12th report on ancient monuments.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310490.

Des=photo 428/35,38/dcc conservation section.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310492.

Morris, j. E. /jbaa/35(1929)291/notes on recent devon archaeology.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310493.

Doe/hhr:buckfastleigh/(1983)10.

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV326357.

On common boundary of urban districts of buckfastleigh and ashburton, and previously listed on 7 august 1951 in the urban district of ashburton only. Circa c15 stone rubble road bridge with four round arches over river dart. Cutwaters on both sides. Widened in 1827 and again in 1929 with segmental arches springing from the cutwaters, and with parapet and string course. Scheduled ancient monument (doe).

Chope, R. P., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV33437.

Reported in 1929 that the bridge had recently been widened from 11.0m to 14.0m in keeping with the original design and using the old masonry (morris). Indulgence granted in 1374 by bishop brantyngham for building or rebuilding of the bridge and a bequest made for its upkeep by bishop stafford in 1406 (chope).

Henderson, C. + Jervoise, E., 1938, Old Devon Bridges, 34 (Monograph). SDV2296.

A heavily restored and much improved stone bridge. It was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of 1356. #21 was spent on repairs in 1599, but in 1670 it was again in decay.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1951, SX76NW24 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV310487.

(13/07/1951) A bridge of four arches with an original width of about 11.0m has been widened to 14.0m. Nothing is visible of its original masonry.
It would appear that all original work has been refaced and pointed. The bridge has also been widened to take the traffic on the main exeter to plymouth road.

Jenkinson, T., 2005 - 2011, B3416/B3212/B3344/Old A38 Exeter to Plymouth (Report - Survey). SDV322256.

Site visit 30th September 2004. Two bridge tablets half way along the south parapet. Both bear faded inscriptions which chart the bridges history over 102 years. One inscription reads 'Widen'd 1827/J Green Esqr Archt/J Brown/Builder/' and the other 'County of Devon/Dart Bridge/Reconstructed and widened 1929/Brian S Miller Clerk/Andrew Warren County Surveyor/'.

Hanks, N., 2016, Removal of duplicate listing - Dart Bridge (Correspondence). SDV359458.

Duplicate listing for bridge removed.

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

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1280217 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Dart Bridge. Bridge across River Dart. C14 or 15, widened in early C19 and early C20. Local grey limestone rubble with some red sandstone and granite. Early C20 parts (all that is now easily visible) are of limestone rubble with granite copings to parapets. Basically the bridge has four round-headed pointed arches, the voussoirs of which seem to be of two alternating types of stone. C20 arches segmental, with cutwaters both sides; on the cutwaters stand semicircular buttresses rising level with tops of parapets. Mentioned as 'Dertebrygg' in Assize Rolls for 1356.
(Henderson C: Old Devon Bridges: 1938-: 34; Pilkington F: Ashburton. The Devon Town: 1978-: 88-89).

The asset was previously listed twice also at List entry 1147169. This entry was removed from the List on 7th March 2016.

This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 9th March 2016.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV2155 - Exeter to Plymouth Milestone Survey

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