Bracebridge bridge

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Description

The Newark Road crossed the Witham at the same point as its modern successor. The modern bridge of 1924-5 replaced a ramshackle causeway and bridge of seven arches. Disputes over responsibility for different parts of this structure continued into the 19th century (Hill 1948, 357-8; Herridge 1999, Nos.5323 & 5088). By this time the arches were evidently all of different dates. When and how the final repairs to the old bridge were undertaken in the late 18th and 19th century is a matter of some interest, illustrating the pattern of traffic over the bridge, and the structure of the 1924 abutments should be searched for evidence of the previous bridge. The steel reinforced moulded concrete structure of 1924 is of engineering interest in its own right and should be recorded in detail during repairs and alterations. A research agenda for structures of this type has been established in the Step 1 Report (OAU 1998). As a vital artery, the City Council sometimes shouldered responsibility for repairs, but frequently they expected other parties to share the costs with them.

LARA Boundaries

The RAZ is intended to include not just the area of the modern bridge, but also lengths of the causeway 100m long on either side, which continued in use into the 19th century. The width of the RAZ is wider than the modern road to ensure that any minor changes in the alignment of the causeway or bridge are included.