England's Best Medieval Bridges

* David Harrison's The Bridges of Medieval England

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BEDFORDSHIRE

Harrold

Barford (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

BERKSHIRE

Abingdon

BERKSHIRE/OXFORDSHIRE

Culham (near Abingdon)

Radcot (near Faringdon)

Newbridge (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Thornborough

CORNWALL

Wadebridge

Cornwall/ Devon

Greyston (River Tamar)

Horse Bridge (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

CUMBERLAND

Lanercost

CUMBERLAND/WESTMORELAND

Eamont

DEVON

Barnstaple

Bridford (River Teign)

Exeter (Exe Bridge)

Staverton

DERBYSHIRE

Bakewell

Eggington (Monk's Bridge)

Matlock

Swarkeston (The best preserved surviving long medieval causeway which extends for a mile across the Trent valley; the bridge over the main channel was built later)

Cromford (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

DERBYSHIRE/STAFFORDSHIRE

Mayfield (Hanging Bridge)

DORSET

White Mill Bridge (near Sturminster Marshall)

Durham

Durham (Elvet Bridge)

Bishop Auckland (Newton Cap Bridge)

Wool Bridge (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

DURHAM/YORKSHIRE

Croft

Piercebridge

Yarm

Chester 'New' Bridge nr Lambton Castle (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Tewkesbury

HAMPSHIRE

Fordingbridge

HUNTINGDONSHIRE

Huntingdon

KENT

Aylesford

Eltham Palace

Twyford Bridge (near Yalding)

East Farleigh (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

LANCASHIRE/YORKSHIRE

Eadsford

LINCOLNSHIRE

Crowland (the Trinity Bridge)

NORFOLK

Norwich (Bishop's Bridge)

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Irthlingborough (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

NORTHUMBERLAND

Twizel (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

OXFORDSHIRE

Lower Heyford (near Rousham House)

SHROPSHIRE

Bridgnorth (although extensively remodelled by Telford, this is the only Severn bridge to give an impression of the appearance of the medieval bridges over the river)

SHROPSHIRE/WORCESTERSHIRE

Tenbury Wells (Teme Bridge)

SOMERSET

Haselbury Plucknett (Haselbury Bridge)

SUFFOLK

Hadleigh (Toppesfield Bridge)

SURREY

Tilford (2 bridges) (There are a series of similar bridges over the River Wey in the neighbourhood)

SUSSEX

Stopham (one of the top 10 bridges in the countryside)

Habin (This is one of several bridges over the River Rother between Midhurst and Petersfield ? there are others: near Durford Abbey and at Iping, Trotton and Woolbeding)

WARWICKSHIRE

Hampton-in-Arden packhorse bridge

Stoneleigh (Stare Bridge)

Warwick (surviving arches of old bridge)

WILTSHIRE

Barton (near the tithe barn at Bradford-on-Avon)

Bradford-on-Avon (Town Bridge)

Salisbury (Harnham Bridge)

YORKSHIRE

Kilgram Bridge (near Jervaulx Abbey)

Wensley

Wetherby (the medieval bridge is sandwiched between later widenings on either side)

*Many of these bridges are difficult to date precisely but it is likely that they were built before the end of Henry VIII's reign.

This list was compiled for Countrylife.co.uk by David Harrison who is the author of 'The Bridges of Medieval England', which was recently published by OUP. Copies of the book are available to order at a special price of £30 for Country Life readers. Call +44 (0) 1536 741017 quoting reference number AAHMBRI05

buy the hardback here

buy the paperback here

Note from the author: Local government boundaries have changed frequently over the last twenty years. For ease the bridges have been listed under the old pre-1974 counties.