Eckington Bridge is a stone bridge over the River Avon in Eckington in the English county of Worcestershire. It is a Grade II* listed building and has been scheduled as an ancient monument.[1][2][3]
Eckington Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 52°04′45″N 2°06′54″W / 52.0793°N 2.1149°W |
| Carries | B4080 |
| Crosses | River Avon |
| Locale | Eckington, Worcestershire, England |
| Heritage status | Grade II* listed building |
| Characteristics | |
| No. of spans | 5 |
| History | |
| Construction start | c. 1720 |
| Location | |
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The first bridge at the site was built in 1440, replacing an earlier ferry, but this fell into disrepair and was replaced by the current stone bridge in the 1720s.[4][5] It consists of six arches built of red sandstone with the piers being protected by cutwaters.[6]
On the northern side of the bridge, slightly downstream, is a World War II pillbox.
During 2011 and 2012 repairs were undertaken by Worcestershire County Council at a cost of £240,000.[7]
Next to the bridge is Eckington Wharf, which is no longer used commercially but provides public moorings, a canoe launching slipway and picnic area.[8][9]
The bridge is the subject of a poem by Arthur Quiller-Couch,[10] and a picture from 1929 by Walter J. Phillips.[11]
In 2022 a collision between two cars on the bridge caused damage and a car entered the river.[12] The driver of that car died.[13]
References
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- ^ Historic England. "Eckington Bridge (1005264)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Eckington Bridge (1116724)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "Eckington Bridge". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Eckington". Bredon Hill View. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ William Page, J.W.Willis-Bund (editors) (1924). "Parishes: Eckington". A History of the County of Worcester: volume 4. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ "Eckington Bridge". Pastscape. English Heritage. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Eckington Bridge". Worcestershire County Council. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Eckington Wharf". CanalPlan. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Eckington Wharf Picnic Place". Worcestershire County Council. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ Quiller-Couch, A.T. "Upon Eckington Bridge, River Avon". Poetry Archive. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ Phillips, Walter J. "Eckington Bridge". Sharecom. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ Bagdi, Annabel (26 August 2022). "Car crashes through bridge and plunges into River Avon during 'serious' two-vehicle smash". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ "Man dies after car submerged in Worcestershire bridge crash". BBC News. 26 August 2022.