Auldgirth Bridge

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Auldgirth Bridge
Dumfriesshire

The bridge, spanning the River Nith
Location
Carrying: Footpath
Crossing: River Nith
Location
Grid reference: NX91168635
Location: 55°9’34"N, 3°42’35"W
Structure
Length: 200 feet
Material: Red sandstone ashlar
History
Built 1782
Architect: David Henderson of Edinburgh
Information

Auldgirth Bridge is a Georgian stone bridge over the River Nith just outside Auldgirth in Dumfriesshire, and a Category A listed structure.[1].

Designed by David Henderson of Edinburgh in 1781, the bridge was built by William Stewart, and completed in 1782; Thomas Carlyle's father worked on its construction.[1] The bridge is made of red sandstone ashlar, with three segmental arched spans, and carried road traffic and pedestrians; refuges are built into the parapets, supported by pilasters on the piers, allowing pedestrians using the bridge to move out of the path of heavier traffic.

Its total length is 200 feet. Each of its three spans is 56 feet wide, and its roadway, which is level, measures 25.7 feet from one parapet to the other.[1]

The bridge was built to carry the main road from Auldgirth (which became the A76) south over the river.[2] In 1979, a new road bridge was completed a short distance away and the course of the road was altered, bypassing Auldgirth Bridge. It remains in use as a footbridge.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Auldgirth Bridge (Category A) - Listing detail (Historic Environment Scotland)
  2. Canmore:Auldgirth Bridge.