Mertoun Bridge
Mertoun Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 55°34′50″N 2°37′14″W / 55.5804579°N 2.6206061°W |
Crosses | River Tweed |
Characteristics | |
Material | Stone |
No. of spans | 5 |
History | |
Designer | James Slight |
Constructed by | William Slight |
Construction end | 1841 |
Location | |
The Mertoun Bridge is a bridge across the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders.
History
The
A flood in September 1839 washed away all the wooden parts.[3] It was rebuilt between 1839 and 1841 by William Smith of Montrose, with the piers raised by 2 feet (0.61 m) compared with the original design.[2]
The stone arches were added in 1887.[4] The bridge is a Category B listed building.[5][6]
Design
The piers built between 1 and 3 feet (0.30 and 0.91 m) into the bedrock, which was achieved by using cofferdams, and the depth of the bottom of the piers is between 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 11 feet 7 inches (3.53 m) below the summer level of the river.[2] The piers are 18 feet (5.5 m) high from the summer level of the river to the base of the arches, and 29 feet 6 inches (8.99 m) long and 10 feet (3.0 m) deep, with a straight profile.[2] The masonry used is ashlar, and the stone is a reddish sandstone quarried nearby.[7]
The bridge carries the B6404 public road across the River Tweed near St Boswells.[8] At the western end of the bridge is a toll-house, built on the embankment leading to the bridge.[9] Nearby is the Mertoun House Bridge, a suspension footbridge dating from the mid-eighteenth century.[10]
The Tweed is an important fishing river, and the Mertoun Bridge is the middle of the Mertoun Upper beat.[11]
References
- ^ "Mertoun Bridge". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d Newlands, James; White, John (1869). The Carpenter and Joiner's Assistant. Blackie. p. 171.
- ^ Burke, Edmund (1840). The Annual Register of World Events: A Review of the Year. Longmans, Green. p. 175.
- ISBN 978-1-873190-10-4.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Mertoun Bridge (Category B Listed Building) (LB15113)". Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Mertoun Bridge (Category B Listed Building) (LB17410)". Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ "Mertoun Bridge, Roxburghshire". scran.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ Google (25 March 2015). "Mertoun Bridge" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "Mertoun Bridge, Tollhouse". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ "Mertoun House, Bridge". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ "Mertoun Upper". fishpal.com. Retrieved 9 August 2015.