110-605: Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon in Bath , England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which the family wished to develop. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style, it is highly unusual in that it has shops built across its full span on both sides. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building . Within 20 years of its construction, alterations were made that expanded
220-496: A 45 ft (14 m) span. Being a pioneer in the use of cast-iron for large scaled structures, Telford had to invent new techniques, such as using boiling sugar and lead as a sealant on the iron connections. Canal engineer William Jessop oversaw the project but left the detailed execution of the project in Telford's hands. The aqueduct was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The same period also saw Telford involved in
330-606: A border of the territory ruled by the Belgae . After the Roman occupation the river formed a boundary between the lands of the Hwicce (which became Mercia ) and the kingdom of Wessex . The river Avon had been navigable from Bristol to Bath during the early years of the 13th century but construction of mills on the river forced its closure. The floodplain of the Avon, on which the city centre of Bath
440-498: A day, but it was to no avail for he died on the 2nd September, very peacefully at about 5pm. … His old servant James Handscombe and I were the only two in the house [24 Abingdon Street, London] when he died. He was never married. Mr Milne and Mr Rickman were, no doubt, Telford's most intimate friends. ... I went to Mr Milne and under his direction … made all the arrangements about the house and correspondence. ... Telford had no blood relations that we knew of. The funeral took place on
550-409: A highest level of 2.43 metres (8 ft 0 in). At Melksham the Avon has a mean flow rate of 6.703 cubic metres per second (236.7 cu ft/s). December 2013 was the highest level recorded at Bradford on Avon when the level reached 3.42 metres (11.2 ft) with a normal range at the monitoring station being 1.01 metres (3 ft 4 in) to 1.40 metres (4 ft 7 in). At Bathford
660-458: A highest recording of 2.31 metres (7 ft 7 in) on 24 December 2013. At Keynsham the typical range is between 0.23 metres (9.1 in) and 2.09 metres (6 ft 10 in). The highest was on 25 December 2013 when it reached 5.36 metres (17.6 ft). At Netham Weir where the new cut carries the flow away from Bristol Harbour the typical range for the depth of the river is 0.15 metres (5.9 in) to 0.84 metres (2 ft 9 in) with
770-424: A large Palladian window – the focal point of the building. On this southern side the structure comprises a principal floor at street level, with a low mezzanine separated by stone banding above. Beneath the principal floor is a sub-floor constructed in the masonry between the spans of the bridge, its presence indicated by ocular windows placed symmetrically beneath the span of each arch. This ocular motif, on
880-717: A new regional body , the Wessex Water Authority. Privatisation saw responsibility for the catchment pass to the National Rivers Authority on its formation on 1 September 1989. In 1996 the authority became part of the Environment Agency . Navigation conservancy in the lower river from Avonmouth to the lock at Hotwells is the responsibility of The Bristol Port Company as both statutory and competent harbour authority. Navigation within Bristol's floating harbour
990-406: A reduced scale, is repeated symmetrically at mezzanine level beneath the central broken-bed pediment. The two terminating pavilions, in reality slight projections, have shallow saucer domes concealed behind their pointed pediments. The roof is pitched and of Welsh slate . The western mid-stream pier was rebuilt in 1804. Further alteration took place in 1895, when the western pavilion was moved for
1100-478: A result of climate change suggest that further measures are likely to be needed to protect the population from flooding risk. A tidal surge, combined with high water levels from the flooding of the surrounding area caused flooding in the city of Bristol. Download coordinates as: [REDACTED] Media related to River Avon, South-West England at Wikimedia Commons Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS FRSE (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834)
1210-643: A shepherd, died soon after Thomas was born. Thomas was raised in poverty by his mother Janet Jackson (died 1794). At the age of 14, he was apprenticed to a stonemason, and some of his earliest work can still be seen on the bridge across the River Esk in Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway. He worked for a time in Edinburgh and in 1782 he moved to London where, after meeting architects Robert Adam and Sir William Chambers , he
SECTION 10
#17328956381801320-564: A similar flow (20.984 cubic metres per second (741.0 cu ft/s)) downstream of the weir. At the Destructor Bridge in Bath the typical height range is 0.40 metres (1 ft 4 in) to 0.81 metres (2 ft 8 in) with a high of 1.64 metres (5 ft 5 in) also in December 2013. At Saltford the range is 0.46 metres (1 ft 6 in) to 1.41 metres (4 ft 8 in) with
1430-549: A task completed by his assistant of ten years, John MacNeill ; today, much of the route is the A5 trunk road, although the Holyhead Road diverted off the A5 along what is now parts of A45 , A41 and A464 through the cities of Coventry , Birmingham and Wolverhampton . Between London and Shrewsbury, most of the work amounted to improvements. Beyond Shrewsbury, and especially beyond Llangollen,
1540-525: A thousand new bridges (including the Craigellachie Bridge ), numerous harbour improvements (including works at Aberdeen , Dundee, Peterhead , Wick , Portmahomack and Banff ), and 32 new churches. Telford also undertook highway works in the Scottish Lowlands, including 184 miles (296 km) of new roads and numerous bridges, ranging from a 112 ft (34 m) span stone bridge across
1650-505: Is loaned from the Common Brittonic abona , "river", which survives in the Welsh word afon [ˈavɔn] . " River Avon ", therefore, literally means "river river"; several other English and Scottish rivers share the name. The County of Avon that existed from 1974 to 1996 was named after the river, and covered Bristol , Bath , and the lower Avon valley. The Avon rises on
1760-487: Is a Grade I listed structure, and was the first canal structure to be designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1951. The stretch of river below and above the aqueduct, where it is joined by Midford Brook , has been used by rowing crews from Monkton Combe School since at least the beginning of the 1900s. It then flows past Claverton Pumping Station , which pumped water from the River Avon by Warleigh Weir into
1870-429: Is built, has an altitude of about 59 ft (18 m) above sea level . The river, once an unnavigable series of braided streams broken up by swamps and ponds, has been managed by weirs into a single channel. Periodic flooding, which shortened the life of many buildings in the lowest part of the city, was normal until major flood control works were completed in the 1970s. The Bristol Avon Navigation, which runs
1980-488: Is important for its dragonfly communities, with a strong population of scarce chaser (found in only six other areas in England), together with a strong population of white-legged damselfly . red-eyed damselfly is also found. The river is also important for aquatic plants, including Loddon pondweed . The Kellaways – West Tytherton Site of Special Scientific Interest , 3 miles (4.8 km) north east of Chippenham ,
2090-525: Is known as the Avon Navigation. The Avon above Bath remains navigable as far as Bathampton where there is the remains of a flash lock . However, the lock past the weir below Pulteney Bridge was demolished when the weir was reconstructed, so passage between the sections is only possible for dinghies and canoes using the roller slipway on the side of the weir. Beyond its junction with the Kennet and Avon Canal,
2200-607: Is made navigable by the use of locks and weirs. In the centre of Bath it passes under various bridges including the Midland Bridge which was originally built by the Midland Railway Company to allow the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway access to and from its Green Park Terminus Station . In November 2011 the navigation between Bath and Bristol was closed because of safety concerns about Victoria Bridge . Weston Lock on
2310-466: Is now 45 metres (148 ft) long and 18 metres (58 ft) wide. Although there have been plans to pedestrianise the bridge, it is still used by buses and taxis. The much photographed bridge and weir below are close to the centre of the city, a World Heritage Site , renowned for its Georgian architecture. The bridge is named after Frances Pulteney, wife of William Johnstone . He was a wealthy Scottish lawyer and Member of Parliament (MP). Frances
SECTION 20
#17328956381802420-433: Is of considerable importance for studies relating to the possible glaciation of the area, and of the terrace stratigraphy , particularly as it is one of only two accessible terrace deposits in this part of the Avon valley. Newton St Loe SSSI is also listed for geological reasons as it represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene gravels along the River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within
2530-462: Is of geological interest as the river bank exposes Callovian highly-fossiliferous sandstone which contains well-preserved bivalves , gastropods , brachiopods , belemnites and ammonites . Further downstream at Newton St Loe the Newton St Loe SSSI is another Geological Conservation Review SSSI. It represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene gravels along
2640-413: Is on the southern side of the mouth of the river. The deepwater dock was constructed between 1972 and 1977, and is now a major port for the import of motor vehicles . The Royal Portbury Dock has the largest entrance lock into any UK port, accommodating vessels up to 41 m (135 ft) beam, 290 m (951 ft) length and 14.5 m (48 ft) draft. The Avonmouth Docks are on the north side of
2750-496: Is retained by Bristol City Council as statutory and competent harbour authority. The distribution of archaeological finds suggests that the western end of the river between Bath and Avonmouth formed a border between the Dobunni and Durotriges during the late Iron Age , prior to the Roman conquest of Britain . Further east, between Bath and what is now Wiltshire, it may also have formed
2860-507: Is the point at Netham in Bristol at which boats from the Avon gain access to Bristol's floating harbour . Construction started in 1804 to build the tidal New Cut , where it is joined by the River Malago , and divert the Avon along the Feeder Canal to the harbour; a system designed and built by William Jessop and later improved by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . A weir carries the river into
2970-598: The Avon Gorge has been an important transport route, carrying the River Avon, major roads and two railways. The Bristol Channel has a very high tidal range of 15 metres (49 ft), second only to Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada ; and the gorge is relatively narrow and meandering, making it notoriously difficult to navigate. Several vessels have grounded in the gorge including the SS Demerara soon after her launch in 1851,
3080-784: The Avoncliff and Dundas Aqueducts which carry the Kennet and Avon Canal , and at Freshford is joined by the Somerset River Frome . Avoncliff Aqueduct was built by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801. The aqueduct consists of three arches and is 110 yards (100 m) long with a central elliptical arch of 60 ft (18 m) span with two side arches each semicircular and 34 ft (10 m) across, all with V-jointed arch stones. The spandrel and wing walls are built in alternate courses of ashlar masonry, and rock-faced blocks. The central span sagged soon after it
3190-635: The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway with an unusual system for flushing out mud using a tidal reservoir. He also completed the Grand Trunk after James Brindley died due to being over-worked. In 1820, Telford was appointed the first President of the recently formed Institution of Civil Engineers , a post he held until his death. He was Initiated into Freemasonry in Antiquity Lodge, No. 26, ( Portsmouth , England) in 1770. This lodge no longer exists. He
3300-605: The Dee at Tongueland in Kirkcudbright (1805–06) to the 129 ft (39 m) tall Cartland Crags bridge near Lanark (1822). In 1809, Telford was tasked with improving the Howth Road in Dublin, to connect the new harbour at Howth to the city of Dublin as part of wider plan to improve communication between Dublin and London. The milestones that are a feature of this route from Howth to
3410-589: The Derby Canal just months earlier. The aqueduct is no longer in use, but is preserved as a distinctive piece of canal engineering. The Ellesmere Canal was left uncompleted in 1805 because it failed to generate the revenues needed to finance the connecting sections to Chester and Shrewbury. However, alongside his canal responsibilities, Telford's reputation as a civil engineer meant he was constantly consulted on numerous other projects. These included water supply works for Liverpool , improvements to London's docklands and
Pulteney Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-630: The GPO on O'Connell Street still mark the route. He also drafted the first design of the Ulster Canal . Irish engineer, William Dargan , was trained by Telford. Telford was consulted in 1806 by the King of Sweden about the construction of a canal between Gothenburg and Stockholm . His plans were adopted and construction of the Göta Canal began in 1810. Telford travelled to Sweden at that time to oversee some of
3630-618: The Kennet and Avon Canal ) to the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth near Bristol , the river is navigable and is known as the Avon Navigation . The Avon is the 19th longest river in the United Kingdom, at 83 miles (134 km), although there are just 19 miles (31 km) as the crow flies between the source and its mouth in the Severn Estuary . The catchment area is 2,220 square kilometres (860 sq mi). The name "Avon"
3740-563: The Lam Brook at Lambridge in Bath and then passes under Cleveland and Pulteney Bridges and over the weir. Cleveland Bridge was built in 1826 by William Hazledine , owner of the Coalbrookdale Ironworks, with Henry Goodridge as the architect, on the site of a Roman ferry crossing. Named after the 3rd Duke of Cleveland , it spans the River Avon at Bathwick , and enabled further development of Georgian Bath to take place on
3850-589: The Ponte Vecchio and the Ponte di Rialto he would likely have seen when he visited Florence and Venice . Adam's design more closely followed Andrea Palladio 's rejected design for the Rialto. The revised bridge was 15 metres (50 ft) wide, rather than the 9.1 metres (30 ft) width envisaged by Paty, which overcame the objections of the local council about the bridge being too narrow. Construction started in 1769 and
3960-662: The River Mersey . Among other structures, this involved the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct over the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen , where Telford used a new method of construction consisting of troughs made from cast iron plates and fixed in masonry. Extending for over 1,000 feet (300 metres) with an altitude of 126 ft (38 m) above the valley floor, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct consists of nineteen arches, each with
4070-640: The Tetbury Avon , which rises just east of Tetbury in Gloucestershire. This is known locally as the Ingleburn, which in Old English means 'English river'. The two rivers flow north and south of a rocky outcrop, almost creating an island for the ancient hilltop town of Malmesbury to sit on. Upstream of this confluence the river is sometimes referred to as the 'River Avon (Sherston branch)' to distinguish it from
4180-853: The Trent and Mersey Canal (1827), and the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal (today part of the Shropshire Union Canal ) – started in May 1826 but finished, after Telford's death, in January 1835. At the time of its construction in 1829, Galton Bridge was the longest single span in the world. Telford surveyed and planned the Macclesfield Canal , which was completed by William Crosley (or Crossley). He also built Whitstable harbour in Kent in 1832, in connection with
4290-598: The 10th September [in Westminster Abbey ]. ... Mr Telford was of the most genial disposition and a delightful companion, his laugh was the heartiest I ever heard; it was a pleasure to be in his society. Thomas Telford was buried in the nave of Westminster Abbey; a statue was erected to him nearby, in St Andrew's Chapel adjoining the north transept. Throughout his life Telford had a great affection for his birthplace of Eskdale and its people and in his will left legacies to
4400-547: The 15 miles (24 km) from the Kennet and Avon Canal at Hanham Lock to the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth, was constructed between 1724 and 1727, following legislation passed by Queen Anne , by a company of proprietors and the engineer John Hore of Newbury . The first cargo of 'Deal boards, Pig-Lead and Meal' arrived in Bath in December 1727. It is now administered by the Canal & River Trust . Throughout Bristol's history
4510-537: The Avon flows through Keynsham towards Bristol . For much of its course after leaving Wiltshire, it marks the traditional boundary between Somerset and Gloucestershire. For most of this distance the navigation makes use of the natural riverbed, with six locks overcoming a rise of 30 feet (9 m). From Bath to Netham Lock where it divides into the New Cut and the Floating Harbour is 12 miles (19 km). The stretch
Pulteney Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-822: The Avon was created by the Land Drainage Act 1930 and became the Bristol Avon River Board under the River Boards Act 1948 ; the board was in turn replaced by the Bristol Avon River Authority under the Water Resources Act 1963 . Twenty-five minor watercourses were added to the Authority's jurisdiction in 1973. Reorganisation in 1974, under the Water Act 1973 brought the Avon catchment into
4730-466: The New Cut and boats use the adjacent lock. Access to the harbour is only possible during the day when the lock keeper will open the gates unless the water level in the river between Netham and Hanham is above or below the level of the harbour. Netham Lock and the weir form part of Bristol's flood defence mechanisms. It was announced in December 2008 that they would be upgraded as part of the £11 million City Docks Capital Project. In central Bristol, where
4840-472: The Palladian style c. 1770. All sit above three segmental arches of equal span. The shops on the north side have cantilevered rear extensions. Consequently, the northern external façade of the bridge is asymmetrical, much altered and of no architectural merit, whereas the southern external side clearly shows the hand of Robert Adam. Built of limestone, in classic Palladian style, the southern façade takes
4950-500: The River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within the wider area, it has aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England . The bodies of mammoths ( Mammuthus ) and horses ( Equus ) have been found at the site. The Avon Gorge has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it supports some rare fauna and flora, including species unique to
5060-611: The Tetbury branch. After the two rivers merge, the Avon turns southeast away from the Cotswolds and then quickly south into the clay Dauntsey Vale , where it is joined by the River Marden , until it reaches the biggest town so far, Chippenham . The wide vale is now known as the Avon Vale, and the river flows on via Lacock to Melksham , then turns north-west through Bradford-on-Avon , where
5170-521: The base of the cliff, is predominantly made up of sea aster ( Aster tripolium ) and English scurvygrass ( Cochlearia anglica ). There are however two nationally scarce vascular plant species here as well – slender hare's-ear ( Bupleurum tenuissimum ) and long-stalked orache ( Atriplex longipes ). The tidal reaches of the River Avon provide habitat for waterbirds, with 64 species having been recorded up to 2004, including 21 species of shorebird , and 13 species of gull . A catchment board for
5280-520: The bridge and turn it into a pedestrianised zone, but it remains open to buses and taxis. Some 700 metres below Pulteney weir, the river is joined by the Kennet and Avon Canal which connects through Bath Locks . Together with the Kennet Navigation which joins the River Thames at Reading, this provides a through route for canal boats from Bristol to London. From this point downstream the river
5390-422: The cables. Telford also worked on the North Wales coast road between Chester and Bangor, including another major suspension bridge at Conwy , opened later the same year as its Menai counterpart. Further afield Telford designed a road to cross the centre of the Isle of Arran . Named the 'String road', this route traverses bleak and difficult terrain to allow traffic to cross between east and west Arran avoiding
5500-432: The canal, using power from the flow of the river. The pumping station is located in a pump house built of Bath Stone, located at river level. Water is diverted from the river by Warleigh Weir, about 200 yd (180 m) upstream. The water flows down a leat to the pumping station, where it powers a water wheel , 24 ft (7.3 m) wide and 17 ft (5.2 m) in diameter, with 48 wooden slats. At full power
5610-475: The centre of the town grew up around a ford , hence the origin of the town's name ("Broad-Ford"). This was supplemented in Norman times by the Grade I listed bridge that still stands today; originally a packhorse bridge , it was widened in the 17th century by rebuilding the downstream side. The Avon Valley between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath is an example of a valley where four forms of ground transport are found: road, rail, river, canal. The river passes under
SECTION 50
#17328956381805720-415: The circuitous coastal route. His work on improving the Glasgow – Carlisle road, later to become the A74 , has been described as "a model for future engineers." Telford improved on methods for the building of macadam roads by improving the selection of stone based on thickness, taking into account traffic, alignment and slopes. The punning nickname 'Colossus of Roads' was given to Telford by his friend,
5830-404: The construction of the Grand Parade. The appearance changed yet again when the current weir , the scene of Javert 's suicide in the film version of Les Misérables , was constructed between 1968 and 1972 as part of a flood-prevention scheme. Further restoration was undertaken in 1975. Notes Bibliography River Avon (Bristol) The River Avon / ˈ eɪ v ən / is a river in
5940-491: The council granted a 150-year lease to the Bristol Port Company. Pilotage is provided by Bristol Pilots LLP who supply authorised pilots for the River Avon and Bristol City docks, as well as the Severn estuary and the Bristol channel; they are based at Avonmouth Docks. At Great Somerford the Avon has a mean flow rate of 3.355 cubic metres per second (118.5 cu ft/s), and a typical river level range between 0.16 metres (6.3 in) and 0.74 metres (2 ft 5 in) with
6050-399: The design and construction of the Shrewsbury Canal . When the original engineer, Josiah Clowes, died in 1795, Telford succeeded him. One of Telford's achievements on this project was the design of Longdon-on-Tern Aqueduct , the cast-iron aqueduct at Longdon-on-Tern , pre-dating that at Pontcysyllte, and substantially bigger than the UK's first cast-iron aqueduct, built by Benjamin Outram on
6160-574: The ear. Farewell my lov'd, my favourite child, A mother's pride farewell! The muses on thy cradle smiled, Ah! now they ring thy knell. ---- ten verses and then ---- And round the tomb the plough shall pass, And yellow autumn smile; And village maids shall seek the place, To crown thy hallowed pile. While yearly comes the opening spring, While autumn wan returns; Each rural voice shall grateful sing, And SCOTLAND boasts of BURNS. 22nd August, 1796. T.T. (Turnbull includes notes that explain nine references to Burns's life in
6270-422: The early 19th century, he was elected as the first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers , a post he held for 14 years until his death. The town of Telford in Shropshire was named after him. Telford was born on 9 August 1757, at Glendinning, a hill farm three miles (five kilometres) east of Eskdalemuir Kirk , in the rural parish of Westerkirk, in Eskdale, Dumfriesshire . His father John Telford,
6380-429: The eventual Poet Laureate , Robert Southey . In 1821, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences . An Act of Parliament in 1823 provided a grant of £50,000 for the building of up to 40 churches and manses in communities without any church buildings (hence the alternative name: 'Parliamentary Church' or 'Parliamentary Kirk'). The total cost was not to exceed £1500 on any site and Telford
6490-404: The fate of the floating harbour as commercial docks and saw them replaced by docks at Avonmouth where the Avon joins the Severn Estuary . Before reaching its mouth, the Avon is joined by the River Trym at Sea Mills which was the site of Portus Abonae , a Roman port. Shortly after, it passes the village of Pill on the south bank where the Pill Hobblers were based in order to tow ships up
6600-405: The form of a temple-like central bay with symmetrical wings connecting to two flanking, terminating pavilions. The central bay is given eminence by a broken-bed pediment supported by austere Doric pilasters . It in turn is flanked by two small bays, each with a small pointed pediment supported by shallow pilasters, which further emphasise and complement the central broken-bed pediment sitting above
6710-665: The gorge. There are a total of 24 rare plant species and two unique trees: the Bristol and Wilmotts's whitebeams . Other notable plants include Bristol rock-cress , Bristol onion , spiked speedwell , autumn squill and honewort . Other areas along the river which have this designation include Bickley Wood , Cleeve Wood, Hanham for its large population of Bath asparagus ( Ornithogalum pyrenaicum ). Stidham Farm near Keynsham contains at least At least 2 metres (7 ft) of Pleistocene terrace-gravels, consisting of limestone clasts mainly, but also with Millstone Grit , Pennant Sandstone , flint and chert clasts. The site
SECTION 60
#17328956381806820-461: The highest ever recorded being 3.22 metres (10.6 ft). For the purpose of water quality monitoring and improvement the river is divided into several catchment management areas; South of Malmesbury, Bristol Avon Rural and Bristol Avon Urban. In the rural area 22 water bodies are classified as good, 46 as moderate and 8 as poor. The main reasons for not achieving good scores are pollution from waste water, agriculture and rural land management. In
6930-434: The highest river level was also in December 2013 when it reached 4.41 metres (14.5 ft) while the normal range is 0.75 metres (2 ft 6 in) and 1.60 metres (5 ft 3 in), with a flow rate of 18.274 cubic metres per second (645.3 cu ft/s). In Bath at St James, which is 180 metres (590 ft) upstream of Pultney Weir the mean flow is 20.466 cubic metres per second (722.7 cu ft/s), with
7040-415: The island of Anglesey a new embankment across the Stanley Sands to Holyhead was constructed, but the crossing of the Menai Strait was the most formidable challenge, overcome by the Menai Suspension Bridge (1819–26). Spanning 580 feet (180 m), this was the longest suspension bridge of the time. Unlike modern suspension bridges, Telford used individually linked 9.5-foot (2.9 m) iron eye bars for
7150-404: The mill leat. Each pump stroke raises 50 imperial gallons (230 L; 60 US gal) of water to the canal. In 1981, British Waterways installed two 75 horsepower (56 kW) electric pumps just upstream from the station. The Avon then flows through Bathford , where it is joined by the Bybrook River , and Bathampton where it passes under the Bathampton Toll Bridge . It is joined by
7260-409: The more important initial excavations. Many of Telford's projects were undertaken due to his role as a member of the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission , an organ set up under the Public Works Loans Act 1817 ( 57 Geo. 3 . c. 34), to help finance public work projects that would generate employment. During his later years, Telford was responsible for rebuilding sections of the London to Holyhead road ,
7370-426: The natural river course of the Avon and its tributaries , the River Frome and Siston Brook , and is intimately entwined with Bristol's city centre as few docks are. As a result of this, the floating harbour is one of the more successful pieces of dockland regeneration, with much of the dockside now occupied by residential, office and cultural premises, and the water area heavily used by leisure craft. The harbour gave
7480-401: The north side of the bridge, which had been constructed with inadequate support. A temporary bridge was erected, and repairs were completed in 1804. Thomas Telford suggested replacing the bridge with a single span cast iron bridge. However it was rebuilt by John Pinch senior, surveyor to the Pulteney estate, in a less ambitious version of Adam's design. Nineteenth-century shopkeepers changed
7590-412: The one in 1799/1800 damaging Pulteney Bridge . Various points along the river including the valley around Freshford are at risk of fluvial flooding, as a result of sediment entering the river and narrowing the channel. To help cope with this some areas on the banks of the river are designated as a functional floodplain to cope with increased flow volumes. The potential changes to weather patterns as
7700-514: The outskirts of Bath is in what now forms the Newbridge area. Weston Cut is a man made channel, opened in 1727, for boats to approach and pass through Weston Lock; the island created between the cut and the river weir became known as Dutch Island after the owner of the brass mill established on the riverside in the early 18th century. Kelston Lock and weir have permanent moorings above and below them. The Riverside Inn and Saltford Marina are also close by. Saltford Lock and weir are overlooked by
7810-507: The poem.) Turnbull also states: His ability and perseverance may be understood from various literary compositions of after life, such as the articles he contributed to the Edinburgh Encyclopædia , such as Architecture, Bridge-building, and Canal-making. Singular to say the earliest distinction he acquired in life was as a poet. Even at 30 years of age he reprinted at Shrewsbury a poem called "Eskdale", … Some others of his poems are in my possession. Another example, later in Telford's life,
7920-659: The poet Thomas Campbell (1777–1844) and to the publishers of the Edinburgh Encyclopædia (to which he had been a contributor). George Turnbull states that Telford wrote and gave him a poem: On reading an account of the death of ROBERT BURNS , the SCOT POET CLAD in the sable weeds of woe, The Scottish genius mourns, As o'er your tomb her sorrows flow, The "narrow house" of Burns.' Each laurel round his humble urn, She strews with pious care, And by soft airs to distance borne, These accents strike
8030-423: The port an advantage by enabling shipping to stay afloat rather than grounding when the tide went down. Downstream of central Bristol, the river passes through the deep Avon Gorge , spanned by Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge : the river is tidal and is navigable by seagoing vessels at high tide but dries to a steep-sided muddy channel at low tide. It was largely the challenge of navigating this section that sealed
8140-723: The reason for its designation as an SSSI is the presence of a population of the true service-tree ( Sorbus domestica ) growing on the cliffs. This tree is nationally rare in Britain, and this site hosts the largest known population in England. Other notable species of Sorbus here are the whitebeams Sorbus eminens and Sorbus anglica , both of which are also nationally rare in Britain. The nationally scarce large-leaved lime ( Tilia platyphyllos ) also occurs, and herbs include field garlic ( Allium oleraceum ) and pale St. John's-wort ( Hypericum montanum ). The saltmarsh vegetation, which lies at
8250-696: The rebuilding of London Bridge (c. 1800). Most notably (and again William Pulteney was influential), in 1801 Telford devised a master plan to improve communications in the Highlands of Scotland , a massive project that was to last some 20 years. It included the building of the Caledonian Canal along the Great Glen and redesign of sections of the Crinan Canal , some 920 miles (1,480 km) of new roads, over
8360-529: The remains of the Kelston Brass Mill, which was working until 1925. It is a Grade II listed building . Alongside the lock is a pub , whose garden extends over the lock to the small island between the lock and weir. The lock was opened in 1727 and destroyed in 1738 by rival coal dealers to stop the use of the river for transportation. In its heyday, between 1709 and 1859, Swineford had an active brass and copper industry around Swineford Lock , served by
8470-617: The river and are one of the UK's major ports for chilled foods, especially fruit and vegetables. The first dock at Avonmouth, Avonmouth Old Dock, was opened in 1877 and acquired by Bristol Corporation in 1884. In 1907, a much larger dock, the Royal Edward Dock, was opened. The docks form part of the Port of Bristol and were operated by the Port of Bristol Authority, part of Bristol City Council , until 1991 when
8580-400: The river is tidal , it is diverted from its original course into the New Cut, a channel dug between 1804 and 1809 at a cost of £600,000. The original course is held at a constant level by lock gates (designed by Jessop) and is known as the floating harbour . The harbour is protected by an 1870s replacement for Jessop's locks. This unusual dock has a tentacled plan resulting from its origins as
8690-589: The river to Bristol and where yachts and other boats still have moorings in Chapel Pill and Crockerne Pill. It then passes under the Avonmouth Bridge which carries the M5 motorway . The main span is 538 ft (164 m) long, and the bridge is 4,554 ft (1,388 m) long, with an air draught above mean high water level of 98.4 ft (30 m). The river then serves two major dock areas. The Royal Portbury Dock
8800-549: The river which also provided water power for the cloth industry, as did the River Boyd , a tributary which flows into the Avon near Bitton . Keynsham Lock opened in 1727. Just above the lock are visitor moorings and a pub, on an island between the lock and the weir. The weir side of the island is also the mouth of the River Chew . Hanham is the last tidal lock, after which the river is joined by Brislington Brook . Netham Lock
8910-463: The schooner Gipsy in 1878, the steam tug Black Eagle in 1861 and the Llandaff City . In 1877, Halfpenny Bridge, a pedestrian toll bridge crossing the river from Bath Spa railway station to Widcombe , collapsed with the loss of about 10 lives amongst a large crowd going to the Bath and West Agricultural show . The Avon has flooded several times in its recorded history. These floods include
9020-432: The shops and changed the façades. By the end of the 18th century, it had been damaged by floods, but was rebuilt to a similar design. Over the next century alterations to the shops included cantilevered extensions on the bridge's north face. In the 20th century, several schemes were carried out to preserve the bridge and partially return it to its original appearance, enhancing its appeal as a tourist attraction. The bridge
9130-451: The shops and made plans for the restoration of the original façade, which was completed in time for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The status of the bridge as an ancient monument was replaced in 1955 with its designation as a Grade I listed building . Further work was carried out in the 1960s to repair the underside soffits of all three arches. More restoration of the southern street facade
9240-451: The shops. A second estimate of £2,389 was obtained from local builders John Lowther and Richard Reed; it included two shops at each end of the bridge, but work did not begin before winter weather made construction of the pillars impossible. In 1770 the brothers Robert and James Adam , who were working on designs for the new town at Bathwick, adapted Paty's original design. Robert Adam envisaged an elegant structure lined with shops, similar to
9350-407: The south side of the river. It was designed by architect Henry Goodridge to take the traffic of his day, horse-drawn vehicles and pedestrians, and was constructed using Bath Stone and a cast iron arched span. Pulteney Bridge was completed in 1773 and is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed structure. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam , and is one of only four bridges in
9460-572: The southern edge of the Cotswold hills , at Didmarton in Gloucestershire; at Joyce's Pool a plaque marks the source. It flows south-east into Wiltshire to Sherston , where it is joined by the Luckington Brook which drains an area west of Luckington that includes the Badminton House estate. From Sherston the river flows east to Malmesbury , where it is joined by its first major tributary,
9570-536: The southwest of England. To distinguish it from a number of other rivers of the same name , it is often called the Bristol Avon . The name 'Avon' is loaned from an ancestor of the Welsh word afon , meaning 'river'. The Avon rises just north of the village of Acton Turville in South Gloucestershire , before flowing through Wiltshire into Somerset . In its lower reaches from Bath (where it meets
9680-457: The structure and appearance of their premises by changing windows, or expanding them by adding cantilevers over the river. Some painted advertisements on the outside of their shops, affecting the view from the river and Grand Parade. The western end pavilion on the south side was demolished in 1903 for road widening and its replacement was not an exact match. In 1936 the bridge was designated an ancient monument . The city council bought several of
9790-501: The town's prison (during the planning of which he met leading prison reformer John Howard ), the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth and another church, St Michael's , in Madeley . Called in to advise on a leaking roof at St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury in 1788, he warned the church was in imminent danger of collapse; his reputation was made locally when it collapsed three days later, but he
9900-526: The two counties meet. Telford was responsible for the repair to the northern (Shropshire) end of the bridge. Telford's reputation in Shropshire led to his appointment in 1793 to manage the detailed design and construction of the Ellesmere Canal , linking the ironworks and collieries of Wrexham via the north-west Shropshire town of Ellesmere , with Chester , utilising the existing Chester Canal , and then
10010-484: The two local libraries at Westerkirk and Langholm. In 2011 he was one of seven inaugural inductees to the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame . Telford's reputation as a man of letters may have preceded his fame as an engineer: he had published poetry between 1779 and 1784, and an account of a tour of Scotland with Robert Southey. His will left bequests to Southey (who would later write Telford's biography),
10120-504: The urban area one water body is rated good, while 12 are rated moderate and one is poor. The pollution from upstream is added to by the effects of industry, manufacturing and other businesses and is significantly affected by physical modifications to the water course. Within the catchment area there are 137 river water bodies and 6 lakes; of these 22 per cent of rivers are rated as good ecological status, 40 per cent good for chemical status and 31 per cent good for biological status. The river
10230-429: The wheel uses 2 tons (2 tonnes ) of water per second and rotates five times a minute. The water wheel drives gearing which increases the speed to 16 rpm . From here, cranks drive vertical connecting rods which transfer the energy to two 18 ft (5.5 m) long cast iron rocking beams. Each rocking beam in turn drives an 18 in (0.5 m) diameter lift pump , which also take their supply from
10340-401: The wider area, they have aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England . At Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton the wooded cliff and a narrow salt marsh are supported by rocks of Devonian age Old Red Sandstone and Carboniferous Limestone , overlain by with Triassic dolomitic conglomerate . The site's principal interest and
10450-612: The work often involved building a highway from scratch. Notable features of this section of the route include the Waterloo Bridge across the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed , the ascent from there to Capel Curig and then the descent from the pass of Nant Ffrancon towards Bangor . Between Capel Curig and Bethesda , in the Ogwen Valley , Telford deviated from the original road, built by Romans during their occupation of this area. On
10560-578: The world with shops across the full span on both sides. It is named after Frances Pulteney , heiress in 1767 of the Bathwick estate across the river from Bath. Floods in 1799 and 1800 wrecked the north side of the bridge, which had been constructed with inadequate support. It was rebuilt by John Pinch the Elder , surveyor to the Pulteney estate, in a less ambitious version of Adam's design. Bath and North East Somerset council have discussed plans to ban vehicles from
10670-540: Was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire , he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotland, as well as harbours and tunnels. Such was his reputation as a prolific designer of highways and related bridges, he was dubbed the 'Colossus of Roads' (a pun on the Colossus of Rhodes ), and, reflecting his command of all types of civil engineering in
10780-593: Was a founder member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 257 (also in Portsmouth). Telford designed a room within the George Inn for the lodge. In 1786 he became an affiliate member of Salopian Lodge, No. 262 (Shrewsbury, England). Telford's young draughtsman and clerk 1830–34 George Turnbull in his diary states: On the 23rd [August 1834] Mr Telford was taken seriously ill of a bilious derangement to which he had been liable ... he grew worse and worse … [surgeons] attended him twice
10890-461: Was across the river from the city and could only be reached by ferry. William made plans to create a new town, which would become a suburb to the historic city of Bath, but first he needed a better river crossing. The work of the Pulteneys is memorialised by Great Pulteney Street in Bathwick, and Henrietta Street and Laura Place , named after their daughter Henrietta Laura Johnstone. Pultney Bridge
11000-437: Was built and has been repaired many times. The Dundas Aqueduct was built by the same team between 1797 and 1801 and completed in 1805. James McIlquham was appointed contractor. The aqueduct is 150 yards (137.2 m) long with three arches built of Bath Stone , with Doric pilasters, and balustrades at each end. The central semicircular arch spans 64 feet (19.5 m); the two oval side arches span 20 feet (6.1 m). It
11110-567: Was built in 1830. Some have been restored and/or converted to private use. Other works by Telford include the St Katharine Docks (1824–28) close to Tower Bridge in central London, where he worked with the architect Philip Hardwick , the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal (today known as the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal ), Over Bridge near Gloucester, the second Harecastle Tunnel on
11220-480: Was commissioned to undertake the design. He developed a simple church of T-shaped plan and two manse designs – a single-storey and a two-storey, adaptable to site and ground conditions, and to brick or stone construction, at £750 each. Of the 43 churches originally planned, 32 were eventually built around the Scottish highlands and islands (the other 11 were achieved by redoing existing buildings). The last of these churches
11330-466: Was completed by 1774 at a cost of £11,000. The builders for the lower part of the bridge were local masons Reed and Lowther; the shops were constructed by Singers and Lankeshere. Pulteney Bridge stood for less than 20 years in the form that Adam created. In 1792 alterations were made during which the bridge was widened to 18 metres (58 ft) and the shops enlarged, converting the original sixteen shops into six larger ones. Floods in 1799 and 1800 wrecked
11440-671: Was designed by Robert Adam , whose original drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum in London. It is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides, the others being in Italy (in Florence and Venice ) and in Erfurt , Germany. Initial plans for the bridge were drawn up by Thomas Paty , who estimated it would cost £4,569 to build, but that did not include
11550-424: Was influenced by Abraham Darby's bridge at Ironbridge , and observed that it was grossly over-designed for its function, and many of the component parts were poorly cast. By contrast, his bridge was 30 ft (9 m) wider in span and half the weight, although it now no longer exists. He was one of the first engineers to test his materials thoroughly before construction. As his engineering prowess grew, Telford
11660-416: Was involved in building additions to Somerset House there. Two years later he found work at Portsmouth dockyard and – although still largely self-taught – was extending his talents to the specification, design and management of building projects. In 1787, through his wealthy patron William Pulteney , he became Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire. His projects included renovation of Shrewsbury Castle ,
11770-472: Was needed in 1975. In 2009 Bath and North East Somerset council put forward a proposal to close the bridge to motor traffic and convert it to a pedestrianised zone, but the plan was abandoned in September 2011. It however remains a large source of income for the council, due to it being the most fined bus lane in the city. The bridge features a narrow street flanked by two full length rows of shops designed in
11880-583: Was not the architect for its replacement. As the Shropshire county surveyor , Telford was also responsible for bridges. In 1790 he designed Montford Bridge carrying the London– Holyhead road over the River Severn at Montford , the first of some 40 bridges he built in Shropshire, including major crossings of the Severn at Buildwas , and Bridgnorth . The bridge at Buildwas was Telford's first iron bridge. He
11990-544: Was the third daughter of MP and government official Daniel Pulteney (1684–1731) and first cousin once removed of William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath . She inherited the Earl's substantial fortune and estates close to Bath in Somerset after his death in 1764 and that of his younger brother and heir in 1767, and the Johnstones changed their surname to Pulteney. The rural Bathwick estate, which Frances and William inherited in 1767,
12100-508: Was to return to this material repeatedly. In 1795, the bridge at Bewdley in Worcestershire was swept away in the winter floods and Telford was responsible for the design of its replacement . The same winter floods saw the bridge at Tenbury also swept away. This bridge across the River Teme was the joint responsibility of both Worcestershire and Shropshire and the bridge has a bend where
#179820