Bow Bridge, Plox
Encyclopedia
Bow Bridge is a 15th century Packhorse bridge
over the River Brue
in Plox, Bruton
, Somerset
, England. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building, and Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
The bridge may have been built as a link between the former Bruton Abbey
, and its Court House in the High Street. On the parapet on the western side of the bridge the remains of a carved shield can still be seen. It had acquired the name Bow Bridge by 1707.
The bridge was restored after floods on July 12, 1982.
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
over the River Brue
River Brue
The River Brue originates in the parish of Brewham in Somerset, England, and reaches the sea some 50 km west at Burnham-on-Sea. It originally took a different route from Glastonbury to the sea, but this was changed by the monastery in the twelfth century....
in Plox, Bruton
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building, and Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
The bridge may have been built as a link between the former Bruton Abbey
Bruton Abbey
Bruton Abbey in Bruton, Somerset was originally founded as a Benedictine priory by Algar, Earl of Cornwall in about 1005. It was subsequently refounded as a house of Augustinian canons in 1135, by William de Mohun, who later became the Earl of Somerset. The village used the north aisle of the...
, and its Court House in the High Street. On the parapet on the western side of the bridge the remains of a carved shield can still be seen. It had acquired the name Bow Bridge by 1707.
The bridge was restored after floods on July 12, 1982.