Summary

Ham Bridge 320m north west of Hambridge Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 19 May 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a multi span bridge situated across the River Teme south east of Clifton-Upon-Teme. The monument survives as a three-span bridge with additional overflow channels at the north eastern and south western ends. The bridge was constructed in the 17th century and was remodelled during the 18th and 20th centuries. The bridge is approximately 22m long and up to 9m wide and is constructed from stone with red brick arches with some concrete and iron. The bridge has ten iron corbals situated below a very low stone parapet surmounted by a balustrade of iron railings. The railings are divided by eight square iron pillars with stepped pagoda caps. Two brick and stone piers separate three arches spanning the river. The arches have segmental heads and keystones and the central arch is the widest. Both sides of the bridge have pointed cut waters at the base of the piers either side of the central arch. The north western cut waters extend approximately 1m from the bridge and the south eastern cut waters are stepped and project up to 3m from the bridge. Shallow buttresses rise up from the cut waters to the parapet.

The original bridge was constructed by the Mortimer’s of Wigmore who were large property holders in the Teme Valley. The name of the bridge is taken from Ham Castle, one of the Mortimer’s other properties situated to the north west.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Multi-span bridges are structures of two or more arches supported on piers. They were constructed from the medieval period for the use of pedestrians and packhorse or vehicular traffic, crossing rivers or streams, often replacing or supplementing earlier fords. Most stone or brick bridges were constructed with pointed arches, although semicircular and segmental examples are also known. The bridge abutments and revetting of the river banks also form part of the bridge. Despite partial remodelling and the insertion of a road surface, Ham Bridge survives comparatively well and contains a number of architectural features of considerable interest.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Pastscape Monument No:- 114230

Source: Historic England