Bideford Long Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Bideford Long Bridge, looking downstream from Upcott Hill. Beyond closer to the estuary is the A39 Road Bridge built in 1987 | |
| Coordinates | 51°00′59″N 4°12′12″W / 51.0165°N 4.2034°W |
| Crosses | River Torridge |
| Locale | Between Bideford and East-the-Water, Devon, England |
| Maintained by | Bideford Bridge Trust (until 1968) Department for Transport (since 1968) |
| Next upstream | Torridge A39 Road Bridge |
| Next downstream | Halfpenny Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Stone |
| Total length | 677 feet (206 m) |
| No. of spans | 24 |
| History | |
| Built | Late 13th century |
| Rebuilt | 14th century |
| Location | |
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Bideford Long Bridge in North Devon spans the River Torridge near its estuary and connects the old part of the town, and formerly important river port, of Bideford on the left bank (west side) with East-the-Water on the right bank (east side). It is one of the longest mediaeval bridges in England, being 677 feet (222 yards) long with 24 arches.[1][2] In 1790 the bridge was the longest in Devon.[3] It remained the furthest downstream bridge on the river until 1987, when the Torridge A39 Road Bridge was built a mile or so further downstream at Northam.[4] The river is still tidal at Bideford (and as far upstream as Weare Giffard) and a very large fluctuation in water levels occurs twice daily under the bridge. An ancient New Year's Eve tradition was to try to run across the Long Bridge during the time taken for the bells of St. Mary's parish church, near the west end, to chime midnight. A sight enjoyed by many in the winter months is of the starlings at dusk, as they come in large flocks to roost underneath the bridge.[citation needed]
It is a Grade I listed building.[5] Another major medieval bridge, the Barnstaple Long Bridge in Barnstaple over the Taw, is a few miles away.[6][7] A large scale model of the Long Bridge in all its stages from 1280 to 1925 is displayed at the Burton at Bideford museum in the town.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.176
- ^ Harrison, David. "Bridges: Past & Future. The current state of knowledge and proposals for future research". archaeologydataservice.ac.uk. Medieval Settlement Research. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ "An Essay Towards a History of Bideford, in the County of Devon - Google Play". Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ Pevsner, p.180
- ^ Historic England. "BIDEFORD BRIDGE INCLUDING PARAPET WALLS AND GATES OF EAST ABUTMENT (1200873)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ R. A. Otter (1994). Southern England. Thomas Telford. pp. 57–8. ISBN 978-0-7277-1971-3.
- ^ Nigel Yates; James Melvin Gibson (1994). Traffic and Politics: The Construction and Management of Rochester Bridge, AD 43-1993. Boydell & Brewer. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-85115-356-8.