in Exeter
This entry relates to bridges which crossed the River Exe to link with the West Gate of Exeter's city walls.
The river had often been fordable by horses at this location, and the Romans may have built a bridge here.
A multi-arched masonry bridge was built here c.1200. The course of the river was altered, and nine of the original 17 or 18 arches have survived. It might be thought that the remains of the bridge would be regarded as a valuable part of Exeter's historic heritage. In fact the remains were stabilised, and the immediate area was landscaped. However, the location is by no means appealing to visitors, not least because it is surrounded by busy roads constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The changes included the construction of two concrete bridges located east and west of the line of the c.1200 bridge.
Over time, houses, shops, a church and a chapel were constructed on the old bridge. The tower of St Edmund's Church has survived.
Some of the arches are slightly skewed, making them early examples of the type.
The problems of congestion led to the construction of a new bridge, having three masonry arches, designed by Joseph Dixon. Work started in 1770, but flooding caused major damage in 1775. Work started again, and the bridge was completed in 1778.
The 1888/1890 O.S. map shows that the southernmost abutment of the Georgian bridge was built partly on the remains of the old bridge. Water still flowed under part of the old bridge, in the form of a large leat. A heavily-skewed bridge carried New Bridge Street over this leat, presumably constructed in the 1770s. A weir was constructed between these bridges. The road bridge survives, 60 yds to the west of the old bridge.
In 1905 the Georgian bridge was replaced by an attactive low-rise steel arch bridge with cast iron decorative features, designed by Sir John Wolfe Barry. This survived until the late 1960s, when it was replaced by the present concrete bridges.
The Wikipedia entry is an excellent source of information on the old bridge.
See Also
Sources of Information
'The Exe Bridge, Exeter' by Stewart Brown, Exeter City Council, 2010