Packhorse bridge

From AmericolaWiki

A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses (horses loaded with sidebags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.^[1]

Packhorse bridges were often on built on the trade routes (often called packhorse routes) that formed major transport arteries across Britain until the coming of the turnpike roads and canals in the 18th century.^[1]

Contents 1 Places with packhorse bridges 1.1 England 1.2 Scotland 1.3 Wales 2 References

[edit] Places with packhorse bridges

Examples of surviving packhorse bridges can be found in the following places.

[edit] England

• Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire
• Barrowford, Lancashire
• Chew Stoke, Somerset
• Great Haywood, Staffordshire; Essex Bridge
• Hayfield, Derbyshire
• Marsden, West Yorkshire; Mellor Bridge and Close Gate Bridge
• Moulton, Suffolk
• Tamworth, Staffordshire
• Wellow, Somerset

[edit] Scotland

• Stow, Scottish Borders

[edit] Wales

• Caergwrle, Flintshire

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Packhorse Cargo. cottontown.org. Retrieved on January 9, 2007.