Usk Bridge, Brecon
The Usk Bridge in Brecon, is the town's oldest route over the River Usk. It carries the B4601 road, formerly the A40, between Brecon and Llanfaes.[1]
History
The river was fordable at Brecon and the date of construction of the original bridge here is uncertain. The existing stone bridge was built in 1563[2] and replaced an earlier bridge that was washed away in the floods of 1535.[3] It was widened in 1794 by bridge builder Thomas Edwards, at a cost of £1,000.[2]
During the 20th century it was widened further with the addition of metal framed footpaths on either side.[2] In the 1950s it required widening to take modern road traffic and a new concrete bed, described as "functional and safe but extremely ugly", was laid on top of the original stone base.[3]
Status
The bridge is a Grade I listed structure.[2]
References
- ↑ "OS Six inch England and Wales: Brecks XXVIII SW 1953". https://maps.nls.uk/view/101605313. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cadw Usk Bridge (Grade I) (6815) Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Morrison, Mal (2013), Brecon Through Time, Amberley Publishing, pp. 39/40, ISBN 978-1-4456-2707-6, https://books.google.com/books?id=Y12IAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT39#v=onepage&q&f=false, retrieved 29 December 2014
Outside links
- Location map: 51°56’51"N, 3°23’38"W