South Warwickshire’s historic bridges due for repairs
WORK is to start this summer on major repairs to the historic Binton Bridge South at Welford that will involve temporary closures of the carriageway for around eight months from August.
The project is part of a programme of historic bridge maintenance in Warwickshire that’s costing £6.3 million, of which nearly £5m is being provided by the government. The rest is coming from the county council’s capital investment fund.
The bridge at Welford, which carries Binton Road over the River Avon into the village, was built between 1806 and 1809. It is a Grade II-listed building that is constructed from a combination of limestone masonry and brickwork and consists of five arches.
A spokesperson for Warwickshire County Council told the Herald: “The regulation order for the temporary road closure to allow important safety repairs to be carried out to Binton Bridge in Welford provides an 18-month window in which the road may be closed in order for the works to take place.”
They added: “Currently, the works at Binton Bridge are scheduled to start mid-August and continue to March 2024.
“Some road closures will be necessary for shorter periods within this window while the works are completed to enable the essential structural repairs to the bridge to be carried out safely.
“The county is working hard to keep these to a minimum, with signed diversion routes being put in place to help motorists and access for pedestrians and cyclists maintained at all times.
“Advanced warning signs will be placed at the bridge to warn drivers of forthcoming closure periods. The council will be in contact with all local stakeholders once the works programme is finalised and specific information can be provided on closures and diversion routes.”
The spokesperson said the council was also currently working with the Environment Agency to develop working methods that would minimise the ecological and flood risk impact, and with the Avon Navigation Trust to ensure the safety of river traffic during the works.
The programme began in 2020-21 and is due to be completed in 2024-25. Other structures included in the repair scheme during this period are Bidford Bridge, Honington Bridge at Shipston, Clopton Bridge in Stratford and Castle Bridge in Warwick.
Meanwhile, the Herald has discovered the final cost of repairing Bidford Bridge after it was seriously damaged by a crop sprayer in June 2015. The bridge – originally built in the early 15th century – had to be closed for five months, at enormous inconvenience to motorists and businesses, while it underwent specialist repairs. The final bill for the job was £388,000.
A county council spokesperson said the figure accounted for the costs incurred by the council, the maintenance contractor Balfour Beatty and its sub-contractors, and also the support provided by the Avon Navigation Trust (considering the extensive operation to safeguard the navigable channel throughout the works period).
The spokesperson revealed that £350,000 of the cost, plus the county council’s costs, were reimbursed by owner of the crop sprayer’s insurance company. The settlement was reached “following extensive dialogue” in March 2018.
Historic bridges getting a refurb
Warwickshire County Council bridge maintenance is responsible for the of approximately 1,150 road-supporting bridges. There are a total of 60 structures with ‘listed’ status (Grade I-II*) out of which 18 share their status as ‘ancient monuments’. Under the historic bridge maintenance programme eight historical structures will undergo £6m worth of critical maintenance over a three-year programme.
Four of the bridges are in the Stratford district, see below.
Beautiful bridge made from Cotswold stone
Honington Bridge is located in Honington near Shipston, crossing the River Stour and carrying Idlicote Road. The bridge was built in 1685, and is associated with the privately owned Honington Hall nearby. The scheduled ancient monument and Grade II-listed building is constructed from limestone ashlar and consists of five arches. The south elevation has five arch extensions which were built at a later date. Parapet walls are constructed from ashlar with moulded coping and stone piers surmounted by stone ball finials. The structure is tied by S-shaped iron tie rods.
Work begins: 2024 into 2025.
Built by monks
Bidford River Bridge was built in the early 15th-century over the River Avon. It is constructed from coursed blue lias, limestone and other stones, with some brick patching on the upstream elevation. The scheduled ancient monument and listed building consists of eight masonry stone arches, with cutwaters on the east side only.The first, second, sixth and seventh arches from the Bidford side are believed to be of original construction. The parapet has almost wholly been renewed. It is understood that the bridge was built by the monks of Bordesley Abbey. It was repaired in 1449, 1545 with stone from Alcester Priory, and major repairs undertaken in 1641 and 1650. The central arch was heightened in the late-18th century when the Avon was made navigable up to Stratford, although it is no longer.
Phase I is complete, Phase II starts in 2024.
13th century origins of island-hopping bridge
Binton Bridge is at a point where the River Avon forms two small islands. There has been a bridge there since the 13th century. Until about 1780 the bridges were only wide enough for horse and foot traffic and extended only to the south island, the passage to the Welford side being continued through a ford. Most of the stonework of the present bridge is 17th century or later, though on the east side there is some earlier masonry. The ford associated with the medieval Bridge became impassable and c1783 William Silvester pulled down the old bridge and built a series of small bridges, just wide enough for wagons, which carried the road across the river. He also erected a tollgate at the southern end. Silvester's bridge, being without parapets, was the scene of frequent accidents and in times of flood might be submerged for weeks together. Construction work was eventually carried out between 1804 and 1809. The bridge now consists of 12 arches, of which the five southern-most seem to date wholly from that time. The stonework of the remainder is substantially that of Silvester’s bridge, with traces of an earlier bridge.
Work begins: August into 2024.
Landmark named after family
Clopton Bridge is located in Stratford and carries the A3400 over the River Avon. It is a masonry arch bridge with 14 pointed spans, crossing at the place where the river was forded in Saxon times, and which gave the town its name.
The bridge was built in 1480, financed by Hugh Clopton of Clopton House, who later became Lord Mayor of London. It replaced a timber bridge which may have dated back to 1318. Two arches were rebuilt in 1524.
It was again repaired in 1588 following flooding, and in 1642 after an arch was destroyed to block the army of Oliver Cromwell. In 1696, money was raised to heighten the parapets, which were as low as four inches in places. The bridge was widened on the north side (upstream) in 1811.
A cast iron footbridge was added to the north side in 1827.
In 1814 a ten-sided Toll House was built by Thomas Keen, who had previously won the rights to collect toll money in a bidding auction. A horse and rider was charged 1d, an old penny, and a wagon a shilling.
Work continues this winter.
