Horse Bridge Over River Weaver Navigation - Dutton, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 17.157 W 002° 37.506
30U E 524993 N 5904145
This double arch wooden bridge carries people and horses over an arm of the River Weaver.
Waymark Code: WMVW82
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/02/2017
Views: 1
Completion of the River Weaver Navigation in 1734 provided a navigable route for transporting salt from Winsford, through Northwich, to Frodsham, where the Weaver joins the River Mersey.
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Footbridge 1915, timber, by A Saver, engineer to the Weaver Navigation Trust. 2 long segmental arches of laminated timber carry slightly arched footway on triangulated timber strutting. Plain post-and-rail parapets. Concrete springers; brick abutments with weathered concrete copings. An elegant structure in the functional waterways tradition; built in 1915-1916, it is a very early surviving example of a pre- stressed laminated timber structure, the arches having spans of 100 feet 7 inches and 101 feet 7 inches. Working Drawings and coloured elevation dated 1915 at BWB Office, Navigation Road, Northwich."
link
The navigation was straightened in parts in the 1870s and larger locks installed to enable larger boats to use the canal. This bridge was built in 1916 to cross the old line of the River Weaver where it rejoins the Navigation. Although called the Horse Bridge it would not have been built for horses to tow canal boats, but the path that crosses the bridge is a bridleway - a public footpath that is also open to horse traffic.
These days it also used by cyclists.