Holme Bridge, a seventeenth century packhorse bridge over the river Wye at Bakewell. It is narrow with a typically low parapet to allow laden packhorses to cross. It may seem unduly cynical to suggest this, but it is not difficult to imagine somebody in an office somewhere devising a scheme to make it safer.
6 comments:
Interesting about the parapet and packhorses. I'd always assumed that stone was so expensive and hard to lug around that they just did the minimum and hoped for the best. Also interesting is the fact that this bridge looks just like the ones crossing the Rother, here in Sussex. And bridges nearly everywhere else. But there's a huge variation in houses and churches and other buildings. Bridges seem to be structures where function most closely determines form.
What beautiful masonry.
Up until recently structured as well as having to do the job for a long time were also pleasing to the eye.
Not now. Both with regards to longevity and aesthetics.
structured should be structures.
I should be more careful with my structures.
An aside. The idea of dealing with load overhang reminded me of ancient Chinese wheelbarrows, which only needed narrow roadway.
Sam - I recall reading about the reason for low parapet on packhorse bridges, but can't remember where. Of course it also allowed the bridge to be very narrow, so stone was saved that way.
Doonhamer - further downstream there is a steel footbridge which is about as ugly as such a bridge could possibly be. There was clearly no interest in making it pleasing to the eye. Those ancient Chinese wheelbarrows would probably be okay going over a packhorse bridge, although to me they look tricky things to keep upright.
The biggest safety problem of a bridge like that is the position. Had they built it low over the ground instead of putting it high over a river there would be no safety problem. (Many modern safety features operate by preventing something useful working).
Woodsy - ha ha. Or they could have spread a rumour that packhorses cause climate change.
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