Yr Hen Bont - Bridgend, Wales. - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

According to a plaque near the bridge: The bridge was built in 1425, repaired in 1775 and restored in 2005. The Cobble stone footpath over the bride, was renewed in 2011. The bridge is a scheduled ancient monument and a grade II listed structure.

The Old Bridge replaced an earlier medieval structure spanning the River Ogmore. The name of Bridgend in Welsh is Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, which means "the head of the bridge on the Ogmore". Pilgrims would have used the bridge to cross the River Ogmore on their way to St David's Cathedral.

The stone bridge is believed to have been built around 1425 with five-spans. It is not known who designed and built the bridge. The five-span structure had three river arches and smaller flood arches on each bank. On 21 August 1775, the western pier had been demolished due to a flood, which partially destroyed two arches on that side of the bridge. The arches were then rebuilt as a single arch of double span.

The two visible arches span 13.7 m (45 ft) on the western side and 6.9 m (23 ft) on the eastern side of the bridge. A third arch is only visible in the rear yard of an office building, built around 1830. In early 2015, the fourth arch of bridge was discovered for the first time in hundreds of years. It was found behind a wall in the basement of the same office.

The Old Bridge stone plaque
The bridge was last used by motor vehicles in 1920. In 2005 the bridge was restored and again in 2011 with its cobbled footway re-laid using traditional lime mortar. The bridge now has statutory protection as a scheduled ancient monument (GM049) and grade II* listed structure. It is still used as a footbridge with the width of the bridge being 2.6 m (8.5 ft)." Text Source: (visit link)

Web site & photos: (visit link)

Length of bridge: 68 feet Height of bridge: 20 feet What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Pedestrians.. What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: Ogmore River Date constructed: c1425 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes - Pedestrians.. Name of road or trail the bridge services: Old Bridge Street - Town Square, pedestrian access from Angel Street. Location: Bridgend, Bridgend County Borough.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/26/2016 veritas vita visited it