Severn Arches

Going upstream from the mouth of the Severn, the first arch bridge that you will see that is in use is the single span at Maisemore, completed in 1965, after an interruption caused by the war. Both walls carry a plaque, facing the road, at the east end of the bridge. Just above Maisemore the weir marks the limit of tidal effects and of the Severn bore. The pictures below show the bridge partially submerged by deep water. Just below Maisemore the A417 is not infrequently under water, as are the neighbouring fields.

Numerous Severn bridges from Gloucester upwards have flood relief openings, sometimes many. This picture, of the bridge at Burford, over the river Windrush, shows what can happen in times of flood. Some bridges in the north of England have large cutwaters and large stone pavements around those, to prevent scouring, which can be a severe threat to a bridge.

A44 Road Bridge in Worcester

Worcester. like Gloucester, is situated almost entirely east of the river Severn. The ground to the west is liable to flooding, and is presumably unsuitable for building. At any rate, Worcester has only one road bridge, one railway bridge, and one foot bridge. The road bridge is the first multiple arch bridge, and only the fourth arch of any kind, found as we go upstream from the mouth of the Severn. The only lower arches are the single spans at Over and Maisemore, near Gloucester, and at the Mythe..

A plaque, illustrated below, on a wall at the north-west end of the road bridge at Worcester, refers to the legend of Sabrina, and the possibility that the name "Severn" is derived from Sabrina, or Sabern.

This bridge was built in 1781 and widened in 1931-1932.

The plaque shown above is not actually on the bridge, but on the wall of the Vésinet Walk on the east bank, about halfway from the road bridge to the railway bridge. It marks the position of the medieval crossings. So Worcester, unlike so many other places, does not use the site of the older crossings.

Bevere Bridge

Just north of Worcester, Bevere Island divides the river. The left channel flows over a fearsome weir, while the right channel has a lock for boats. A small iron arch connects the island to the left bank. If you go under the bridge it means you have taken the wrong channel. You will very shortly be going over the weir.

Stourport Bridge

These pictures above show the A451 road bridge at Stourport-on-Severn, dating from 1870. After crossing the iron arch you pass over some masonry arches and then the long line of brick arches shown at right. All this is a strong hint that you are in an area which is prone to severe flooding.

Bewdley Bridge

This elegant three arch bridge spans the River Severn at Bewdley, carrying the B4190 road. Some flood arches with grills can be seen at the right. Unfortunately the scale of the flooding in recent years has rendered such measures irrelevant, because of the very large volumes of water coming down from the Welsh mountains. Thomas Telford built this bridge in 1798.

Bridgnorth Bridge

n the pleasant town of Bridgnorth there is a multi-arch bridge. It is not easy to photograph in summer because of trees. It has been widened to cope with traffic. This always presents a problem of preservation. On the south, downstream side, concrete beams from pier to pier carry a footpath. On the upstream side the changes are more drastic. Very wide beams make the roadway much wider, but obscure the old bridge. This solution at least leaves one side relatively unscathed.

At the north east of the bridge, on a brick tower, a plaque commemorates the engineer Richard Trevethick.

Just south of the bridge, a small trussed footbridge connects the left bank of the Severn to a bowling club on an island.

Bridgnorth has an interesting arched building in the main street, and some sandstone arches at the top end of the street. It has a steep railway from the lower town to the upper, with cars that look like buses modified by Kienholz, and a church designed by Thomas Telford.

Downstream from the town, the A458 bypass is taken over the river by a neat concrete beam bridge. From there you can see a cable-stayed footbridge across a valley in the town.

Ironbridge at Coalbrookdale

This very famous bridge was built between 1777 and 1779, and is reputed to be the first cast iron bridge. The detailing is more like that of carpentry than that of modern metalwork, but perhaps it is enough to be innovative in material without the added risk of using new ideas in assembly.

At any rate, the bridge still stands. Under the river, an inverted arch prevents inward movement of the abutments, which evidently push inwards more than the bridge can withstand, probably because the river is in a steep valley. Although built in a brittle material, the bridge has survived the insidious thrust.

Ironbridge Museum – http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

Free map of Ironbridge area

A large area of the valley is given over to an industrial museum, which is well worth visiting.

Visit Severn bridges book for details of a very useful book by Chris Witts, who has spent much of his working life on the River Severn. This book, called "A Century of Bridges", includes information, a grid reference, and a drawing by the author for every bridge, even including notes about demolished bridges and some history. A Century of Bridges, ISBN 0 9532711 0 2, is published by River Severn Publications, Gloucester.

Another very interesting book by the same author is called "Along the Severn from Source to Sea", ISBN 1 873877 31 5. This book is published by Reardon Publications, Leckhampton, Glos.