Crossings of the River Wye in the UK cover the whole length of the 215 kilometres (134 mi) from its source to the River Severn. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales. The lower Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[1][2] There are some 15 Grade II listed bridges, one Grade II* listed bridge and three Grade I listed bridges.
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Crossings
edit| Status | Criteria[3] |
|---|---|
| I | Grade I listed. Bridge of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important |
| II* | Grade II* listed. Particularly important bridge of more than special interest |
| II | Grade II listed. Bridge of national importance and special interest |
In order, moving downstream:
| Crossing | Coordinates | Built | Heritage status |
Locality | Notes | Refs | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source of the River Wye | - | Plynlimon | Included for completeness | .jpg)
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| Y Drum Bridge | grid reference SN 854 828 | 1965 | Pont Rhydgaled | The first bridge over the Wye, 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) below its source. A steel beam structure with a wooden deck, 10 metres (33 ft) long with two cylindrical columns mid-span. | [4] | ||
| Pont Cefn-Brwyn | grid reference SN 830 836 | about 1910 | Pont Rhygaled | Built to serve the lead mines in Nant Iago. The bridge was strengthened in 1975 to allow road vehicles from the Institute of Hydrology to reach a weir upstream of the bridge. | [4] | 
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| Pont Rhydgaled | 1800[4] | Pont Rhydgaled | Carries the A44 over river just above its confluence with the Afon Tarenig. | .jpg)
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| Nanty | grid reference SN 854 820 | 1992 | A three-span wooden footbridge built to replace an earlier structure. The Nanty Lead Mine was located here, but closed in 1867. | [4] | |||
| Footbridge | 1992 | The Wye Valley Walk footbridge | _(geograph_2609434).jpg)
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| Waun Capel Parc footbridge | grid reference SN 968 681 | 1965 | - | Rhayader | A single-span made of three continuous truss girders of welded steel, built by the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. | [4] | 
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| Rhayader road bridge | Carries the B4518 road. | 
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| Glyn Bridge | 
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| Llanwrthwl Bridge | |||||||
| Yr Allt Farm bridge | Farm access | ||||||
| Newbridge-on-Wye Bridge | .jpg)
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| Brynwern Bridge | |||||||
| Builth Road Railway Bridge | Near Builth Road railway station. | Located on the Heart of Wales Line. | 
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| Wye Bridge, Builth Wells | II | Builth Wells | 
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| Erwood Bridge | Erwood | Carries the B4594 road. | 
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| Lady Milford's Bridge | - | Llanstephan | 
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| Boughrood Bridge | II | 
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| Glasbury Bridge | 
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| Hay Bridge | Crossed over the river from Radnorshire to Brecknockshire as well as the currently closed Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway. It is near the former Hay-on-Wye station which is on the southern side in Herefordshire. | 
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| Whitney-on-Wye Railway Bridge | Demolished on the former Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway which is closed. | 
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| Whitney-on-Wye toll bridge | II | 
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| Bredwardine Bridge | II | 
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| Bridge Sollers Bridge | 
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| Hunderton Bridge | - | Hereford | On the former Goods Line, part of the original Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway | 
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| Greyfriars bridge (A49 road) | 1967 | 
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| Wye Bridge, Hereford | I | Late C15, widened 1826. | [5] | 
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| Victoria Bridge | II | [6] | Footbridge over River Wye. c1897. Built by Findlay of Motherwell. Concrete piers. | [7] | 
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| Greenway Bridge | - | Rotherwas, Hereford | Bridge links the Bartonsham and Rotherwas areas of Hereford. | 
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| Eign Bridge | - | Rotherwas, Hereford | Built as part of the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway which line is largely closed apart from the section here which is part of the Welsh Marches Line. | 
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| Holme Lacy Bridge | - | 
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| Ballingham Railway Bridge | grid reference SO 569 306 | 1855-1859 | Ballingham | Carried the closed Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway over the river, the bridge decking is demolished. | [4] | 
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| Hoarwithy Bridge | - | 
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| Sellack Suspension Bridge | II | 
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| Foy Bridge | - | 
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| Strangford Railway Bridge | - | Closed Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway line. Decking spanning the river demolished. | 
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| Backney Railway Bridge | - | Closed Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway line. | 
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| Bridstow Bridge | - | Bridstow bridge, completed in 1960, carries the A40 trunk road over the river Wye near Ross-on-Wye. | 
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| Wilton Bridge | I | Stone bridge. In 1597 an Act was passed authorising its construction. It was completed within the next 2 years. 5 semicircular arches each with 3 ribs. | 
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| Kerne Bridge | II | Road bridge. 1828 by B D Jones. Ashlar. Five-span bridge with large central arch flanked by graded arches. | 
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| Welsh Bicknor Railway Bridge | - | On the closed Ross and Monmouth Railway. | 
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| Huntsham Bridge | II | 
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| Hand ferry at the Ye Old Ferrie Inn | - | Symonds Yat | 
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| Hand ferry at the Saracens Head Inn | - | Symonds Yat | 
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| Biblins Bridge | - | Site of Biblins Youth Campsite | 
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| Wye Bridge (Monmouth) | II | Built in 1617 | 
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| Duke of Beaufort Bridge | II | Monmouth Troy | Built in 1874. It is listed (as a historic structure) simply as the Railway Bridge, Monmouth. | 
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| Monmouth Viaduct | 51°48′16″N 2°42′28″W / 51.804475°N 2.707872°W | - | Monmouth Troy | Bridge dismantled in 1967. It carried the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk & Pontypool Railway line. Part of the closed Wye Valley Railway line. | 
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| Penallt Viaduct | II | Also known as, and listed as Redbrook Railway Bridge. Previously carried the Wye Valley Railway. Still in use as a footpath. | 
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| Bigsweir Bridge | II* | Carries the A466 road. | 
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| Brockweir Bridge | 51°42′25″N 2°40′08″W / 51.707029°N 2.668972°W | 1906 | II | Brockweir | Designed by S.W. & A.L. Yockney of Victoria Street, Westminster. The contractors were E. Finch and Company of Chepstow. | [8] | 
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| Tintern Railway Bridge | 51°42′01″N 2°40′24″W / 51.700334°N 2.673260°W | Tintern station | Demolished. On the closed Wye Valley Railway south of Tintern railway station. | 
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| Old Tramway Bridge | 51°41′58″N 2°40′53″W / 51.699424°N 2.681343°W | 1875 | II | Tintern | Listed as the Old Tramway Bridge (formerly Wireworks Bridge), but also known as the Tintern Footbridge. Previously carried the Tintern Wireworks Branch, now a footbridge. | [9] | 
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| Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow | 52°29′19″N 3°43′36″W / 52.48855°N 3.72676°W | I | Chepstow | Carries the B4228 road. | 
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| A48 bridge | 52°29′13″N 3°43′20″W / 52.48681°N 3.72227°W | - | Chepstow | Carries the A48 road. | 
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| Chepstow Railway Bridge | 52°28′53″N 3°42′58″W / 52.48151°N 3.71618°W | II | Chepstow | Built in 1852 as part of the South Wales Railway. It also brought the closed Wye Valley Railway into Chepstow station. It now carries the Gloucester to Newport Line. | 
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| M48 Wye Bridge | 52°28′22″N 3°42′05″W / 52.47276°N 3.70141°W | II | Tidenham and Chepstow | Built in 1966, it carried the M4 motorway between England and Wales until the opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996. It now carries the M48 motorway. | 
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| Severn-Wye Cable Tunnel | 51°36′40″N 2°40′09″W / 51.61098°N 2.66921°W | - | Newhouse (Mathern) – Aust | The tunnel is 47.5 m deep, with a diameter of 3.05 m and a total length of 3,678 m.[10] The tunnel carries two 400 kV circuits, each with three cables.[11] | 
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| Aust Severn Powerline Crossing | 51°36′21″N 2°38′29″W / 51.60578°N 2.64136°W | - | Longest powerline span in the UK at 1 mile (1,618 metres). | 
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See also
edit
Notes
edit- ^ "Natural England information on AONBs and map". Natural England. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ "Natural England information on Wye Valley AONB". Natural England. Archived from the original on 30 August 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ Listed Buildings, English Heritage, archived from the original on 22 December 2012, retrieved 22 April 2011
- ^ a b c d e f Crow, Alan (1995). Bridges on the River Wye. Hereford: Lapridge Publications. ISBN 0-9518589-9-8.
- ^ "Wye Bridge". Historic England. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Wye Bridge". Historic England. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Victoria Bridge". Historic England. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Brockweir Bridge (Grade II) (1393683)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "Old Tramway Bridge (Formerly Wireworks Bridge) (Grade II) (1393682)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ "Mono Severn Wye Tunnel Project wins award". HighBeam. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ^ "Severn-Wye Cable Tunnel refurb". Global Trade Media. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
External links
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