Grosvenor Bridge - Chester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 11.014 W 002° 53.761
30U E 506948 N 5892695
This bridge over the River Dee was built in 1833 to provide extra road capacity when the single lane Old Dee bridge became congested.
Waymark Code: WMWQ2C
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/30/2017
Views: 0
The bridge is a Historic England Grade I Listed building.
"Road bridge over River Dee. Designed 1824 by Thomas Harrison, built 1827-1833 under the supervision of his pupil William Cole the younger, with Jesse Hartley as consultant; James Trubshaw contractor, at a cost of 50,000 pounds. Red and cream Peckforton sandstone ashlar. A single deep segmental 200 foot span arch across the river, believed to have been the longest stone arch in the world when built. River arch with pavilion-abutments; an archway for pedestrians and coaches to each side; outer abutments, quadrant-shaped in plan, stepping down with slope of embankments. The river arch has 2 rings of cream voussoirs with red sandstone outer moulding and 2 rings of long shallow voussoirs above; recessed spandrel panels; frieze and cornice with rectangular modillions; parapet of round-topped ashlar slabs, with raised panel above crown of arch. The battered Doric pavilions have rusticated plinths of tooled ashlar, curved batter to faces; 2-course frieze above plinth; round-arched niche; stone panel; Doric architrave, frieze and pediment. The round-arched side openings and the outer abutments are rock-faced masonry. On the bridge a slate plaque gives historic details. (Bartholomew City Guides: Harris B: Cheshire: Edinburgh: 1979-: 115-116; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Hubbard E: Cheshire: Harmondsworth: 1971-: 159-160)."
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"Chester was at the time a major shipbuilding city, and a very tall bridge was required to allow ships to pass underneath. A design by the architect Thomas Harrison featuring an arch 60 feet (18 m) high and 200 feet (61 m) wide was chosen. When constructed, it would be the largest arch in the world, described by chief builder James Trubshaw as "a lasting monument to the glory and superiority of Great Britain". The arch is of limestone from Anglesey, the rest the bridge gritstone. Its span remains the longest masonry arch in Britain.
Construction
Original plans called for a bridge between Chester Castle and Wrexham Road. However, Harrison was concerned soft ground there would not support heavy piers. Telford found a drier area downstream and construction was moved there, requiring Wrexham Road to be deadended in one direction, the other leading to the bridge. The first stone was laid by the Marquess of Westminster on 1 October 1827.
The unfinished bridge was formally opened by Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and her daughter, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (later Queen Victoria), who were driven through a triumphal arch staged on its roadway to a 21-gun salute on 17 October 1832. Construction was finally completed in November 1833, and a toll imposed to pay the £50,000 (equivalent to $4,280,000 in 2015)[5] construction costs, a large sum at the time. The toll proved harmful to trade and was abolished in 1885 when maintenance was transferred to the Chester Corporation.
Harrison died two years into construction; his pupil William Cole completed the job."
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As well as the single arch over the bridge itself, there are two high, narrow arches over footpaths next to each side of the river.