BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 289

The crew from Borders Bridges (their Instagram page can be found here), found this bridge recently and even brought this to my attention on my Instagram page. It’s one of the most unusual arch bridges I have seen, especially for even though structure has five stone arch spans, its center span features a chest-high stone railings with ornamental finials at each corner. It looks like a single span bridge that has approaches that if the river channel was narrow, it would have been filled in. But as wide as the river is, the additional spans were necessary.

According to information on its history and location:

The Tay bridge in Aberfeldy was built in 1733. Designed by William Adam the 5 arched stone bridge is better known as Wade’s bridge after Field Marshall George Wade who authorised it. George Wade was made Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s castles, forts and barracks in 1725. He is noted for the building of Military roads and bridges following the Jacobite rising of 1715. He was tasked with the building of an infrastructure to allow the fast moving of military forces throughout Scotland.
The 400’ long by 60’ wide Wade’s bridge was made a catagory A listed structure by Historic Scotland in 1971.

The bridge connects Kinross and Perth in the Aberfeldy District in Scotland. It still serves traffic but with size and weight restrictions.