Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders
Date 2007
Event ID 578098
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/578098
This elegant five-span arched masonry bridge over the Cree was designed by Rennie and built from 1812–14.
The inspector was John Hall, the contractor, Kenneth Mathieson and the cost £8234. The outer spans are 38 ft
6 in., the inner spans 45 ft 9 in. and the centre span is 50 ft, all segmental in elevation. The bridge is low over
the water and the centre arch has a rise of only 6 ft 6 in. The width between parapets is 20 ft.
The masonry is of rough-faced granite. Above the pointed cutwaters, semi-octagons of masonry are carried
up to parapet level forming pedestrian refuges. Rennie narrowly escaped death when scaffolding collapsed
while he was making an inspection of the bridge during its construction. The bridge formed part of the Carlisle to Portpatrick turnpike road, but is now bypassed.
Two miles south of the town, adjoining the A714 at Baltersan (NX 4230 6140) is one of the earliest reinforced
concrete grain silos in Scotland built in 1920, now disused. Internally it is 100 ft high and 14 ft diameter
with a battlemented top. There is an outside ladder in a protective external shaft. The walls are 6 in. thick and the concrete was placed in 2 ft lifts. The contractor was James Scott & Son (Aberdeen) Ltd.
R Paxton and J Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
