Gunnislake Newbridge

Gunnislake Newbridge or New Bridge is a large stone arch bridge in western England, crossing the River Tamar between Gunnislake, Cornwall and Gulworthy, Devon.[1] The bridge is located in a narrow river valley with woodland and high ground on either side.[2][3]

History

It was commissioned by local landowner Piers Edgecumbe, built around 1520, and largely rebuilt around 1773.[4][5][6] It has six arches.[1][2]

The name "Newbridge" may refer to it being built later than two medieval bridges upriver which are slightly less than a century older, Horsebridge and Greystone Bridge.[7] Engineering historian Bill Harvey interprets the name as referring to the current structure having replaced an earlier one on the same site apart from one surviving pointed arch;[8][9] Thomas interprets this arch (the first starting from the Devon bank) as the one remaining from Edgecumbe's original bridge, with the rest rebuilt in 1773.[4]

The Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge took place at the bridge in 1644.[10][11] It is currently grade I listed.[12] A nineteenth-century toll house is located on the Devon side and is listed grade II separately.[4][13]

Current use

The bridge continues to be used for road traffic and currently carries the A390 road.[14][15][16][17] The crossing was formerly a relatively major route for road traffic into Cornwall bypassing Plymouth, as it was the lowest road bridge across the Tamar until the Tamar Bridge opened in the 1960s.[6][18][19][20][21] Steel plates were added to the upstream cutwaters to shield from debris in 2024.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b Beacham, Peter; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2014). The Buildings of England: Cornwall. Yale University Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-300-12668-6.
  2. ^ a b "Welcome to Gunnislake" (PDF). Tamar Valley National Landscape. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  3. ^ "The Tamar Valley & Hingston Down". Tamar Valley National Landscape. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Thomas, D. L. B (1992). "The Chronology of Devon Bridges". Transactions of the Devonshire Association. Devonshire Association.
  5. ^ "Historic Gunnislake Newbridge shuts for repairs after hole found". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  6. ^ a b "New Br[idge] Gunnislake Bridges Heritage-Statement nosings" (PDF). Planning Alerts. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  7. ^ "Solid connections to medieval England". Transforming Cities. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  8. ^ Harvey, Bill. "New Bridge, Gunnislake". Bill Harvey Associates.
  9. ^ "Obituary: Bill Harvey". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  10. ^ Discovering the River Tamar, Chapter 7
  11. ^ Royal Institution of Cornwall English Civil War and Captain Southcote pg 32
  12. ^ Historic England. "New Bridge (Grade I) (1140201)". National Heritage List for England.
  13. ^ Historic England. "The Old Toll House (Grade II) (1105739)". National Heritage List for England.
  14. ^ "Emergency closure of Gunnislake Newbridge". Devon County Council. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  15. ^ "Historic Gunnislake Newbridge shuts for repairs after hole found". BBC News. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Emergency closure of Gunnislake Newbridge". The Devon Daily. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  17. ^ Otter, R. A. (1994). Southern England: Civil Engineering Heritage. Thomas Telford. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-727-71971-3.
  18. ^ "River Tamar Bridge". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 29 April 1930. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  19. ^ "Two listed bridges given added protection to guard against repeat of storm damage". Devon County Council. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  20. ^ "Minutes of a meeting of the Calstock Parish Council, Planning Committee" (PDF). Calstock Parish Council. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  21. ^ Otter, R. A. (1994). Southern England: Civil Engineering Heritage. Thomas Telford. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-727-71971-3.
  22. ^ "Bridges get steel protection against flood damage". BBC News. Retrieved 8 April 2026.

50°31′43″N 4°12′43″W / 50.5286°N 4.21194°W / 50.5286; -4.21194

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