Holt Fleet Bridge
Encyclopedia
Holt Fleet Bridge, also known as Holt Bridge, is a cast-iron
arch bridge
over the River Severn
, at Holt
in Worcestershire
, England
. It has a span of 150 feet (45.7 m); it was designed by Thomas Telford
and opened in 1828. It is Grade II listed, and is similar to Telford's Galton Bridge
, which is a Grade I listed structure that spans his canal at Smethwick
.
The bridge was built with five cast-iron ribs, with X-braced spandrel
s, as were several of Telford's bridges. It was strengthened in 1928. when the upper and lower parts of each rib and some of the diagonal struts above them were encased in concrete. The road deck was rebuilt in reinforced concrete
and widened at the same time.
Semicircular arches at each end, built in red sandstone
, allow for the passage of riverbank foot-traffic and floodwater.
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Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
over the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, at Holt
Holt, Worcestershire
Holt Fleet is a village in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. The church is dedicated to St. Martin, and dates from about the 12th century. Holt Bridge, over the River Severn, was designed by Thomas Telford, and opened in 1830.-Early history:Holt saw archaeological...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has a span of 150 feet (45.7 m); it was designed by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
and opened in 1828. It is Grade II listed, and is similar to Telford's Galton Bridge
Galton Bridge
Galton Bridge is a canal bridge in Smethwick, West Midlands, England built by Thomas Telford in 1829. It spans Telford's Birmingham Canal Navigations New Main Line carrying Roebuck Lane. When it was constructed, its single span of 151 feet was the highest in the world . Originally a road bridge...
, which is a Grade I listed structure that spans his canal at Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
.
The bridge was built with five cast-iron ribs, with X-braced spandrel
Spandrel
A spandrel, less often spandril or splaundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure....
s, as were several of Telford's bridges. It was strengthened in 1928. when the upper and lower parts of each rib and some of the diagonal struts above them were encased in concrete. The road deck was rebuilt in reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
and widened at the same time.
Semicircular arches at each end, built in red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, allow for the passage of riverbank foot-traffic and floodwater.
External links
- photos of Holt Fleet Bridge and surrounding area on geograph
- Because the bridge spans between two districts of Worcestershire, it has two listings in Images of England:
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