The Oldest Iron Bridge in Essex, Maldon Road, Witham, Essex. - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

Saul's Bridge was the second bridge to be built of iron in Essex thanks to the foresight of County Surveyor Robert Lugar. An extract from D.Alderton & J.Booker, Industrial Archaeology in East Anglia states "The Bridge represents the first agreement by an Essex County Surveyor (Robert Lugar) to build in iron. Total cost £700." It is the earliest known civil engineering work in Essex of (later Sir) William Cubitt, who was employed by Ransome and Son of Ipswich at the time.

It has been rebuilt, widened to 23'8" in 2005, and strengthened in 2008 at a cost of £110,000.00, the original East face still visible from the river bank, the west face is hidden behind concrete widening works. It's still in everyday use, it does have a 7.5-tonne weight restriction and still carries a vast amount of traffic, both between Witham and Maldon and local on a daily basis. Essex County Council wanted to remove the weight restriction after the 2008 work but local opposition to the possibility of HGV traffic into Witham over this bridge meant that the limit was retained on environmental grounds. It is Grade 2 listed and but not as old as THE Ironbridge in Shropshire, dated 1781, it can be assumed to be one of the oldest iron built bridges still in regular use.

The bridge crosses the River Brain, a tributary of the Blackwater, made of Cast Iron with a C20th red brick and concrete extension to west side to widen it and provide a pedestrian footpath each side of the normal carriageway width. Spanning 18ft in a single arch it has seven soffit ribs of 'I' section, which can be seen from the underside, and two ornamental cast iron parapet ribs. All ribs are supported on cast iron plates on red brick abutments. The upper rectangular part of the two parapet ribs have cast-in wording, "Ransom and Sons" and "Ipswich 1814", the two lower spandrel panels each have tie bolts to cast-in roundels. The east face has a cast iron base to handrails of eight sections on cruciform posts with segmental pointed top rails. The two sections of the rails to the right and left curve away from the road and have five alternate moulded and circular rails, the four centre sections have three moulded rails only. The lower half of the original west face is still visible from the river.

The C20th west extension is a central blue brick wall on a concrete and steel girder span with concrete capping. There are concrete posts and metal tubular rails to the side sections.

This was the second cast iron bridge in Essex, and is now the oldest remaining. The first, a bridge over the River Lea was erected by the Commercial Road Trust in 1810 but was demolished as the Lea Valley was being industrially developed.

There are two similar bridges by (later Sir) William Cubitt. His first design is the Brent Eleigh Bridge, 1813, on the road from Hadleigh to Lavenham in Suffolk; and his second design the Clare Bridge in Suffolk, a three span cast iron bridge which carries a minor road over the river Stour. The semi-elliptical arched spans are 3m(11'), 4m(13'6") and 3m(11').

Length of bridge: 18ft Height of bridge: 6ft What type of traffic does this bridge support?: pedestrians and motor vehicles. What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: The River Brain. Date constructed: 1814 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: B1018, Maldon Road. Location: Witham, Essex.

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