Greystone Bridge
| Greystone Bridge | |
| Cornwall, Devon | |
|---|---|
 Greystone Bridge | |
| Location | |
| Carrying: | B3362 |
| Crossing: | River Tamar |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SX368803 |
| Location: | 50°35’60"N, 4°18’25"W |
| Structure | |
| Main span: | 23 feet |
| History | |
| Built 1439 | |
| Information | |
Greystone Bridge is a four-arched, late mediæval bridge over the River Tamar, south-east of Launceston. It carries what is today the B3362, which runs between Tavistock in Devon and Launceston in Cornwall, the river, and thus the bridge, marking the county border.
The bridge was built in 1439 and today is Grade I listed,[1][2] and a scheduled ancient monument.[3]
The next bridge downstream on the river is the Horse Bridge, which is the Tamar's oldest extant bridge and was once the lowest bridge on the river. The closeness of the two in age and similarity of design suggest that the same builder was involved.
Description
The Greystone Bridge is to be found on the River Tamar to the south-east of Launceston. It is faced in stone with a dressing of freestone. The roadway is just 10 feet wide and the bridge's cutwaters extend up to 27 feet up from the riverbed. There is a footpath for use by pedestrians.
The bridge has four segmental arches and two floodwater arches measured at 14 feet on each bank.[3][2][1]
History
Greystone Bridge was built by the sale of an indulgence of 40 days granted to all penitents by Bishop Lacy of Exeter on 27 December 1439.
Greystone Bridge and the Horsebridge, also over the Tamar, are thought to have been built by the same person. The patron of the bridge is thought to have been an Abbot of Tavistock.
Though old and narrow by modern standards, the bridge is still on a busy route, and by the Cornish end of the bridge is quarry. In the modern age, long vehicles have often damaged its parapet. Repair work was carried out in November 2007, which also widened its entry approach on the Cornwall end, and traffic signals were replaced.
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Greystone Bridge) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Heritage List 1219394: Greystone Bridge
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Greystone Bridge, Dunterton - British Listed Buildings
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Greystone Bridge - Engineering Timelines