Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders
Date 2007
Event ID 605671
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/605671
Hyndford Bridge was built from 1771–73 and exhibits a surprising degree of design sophistication for a Scottish bridge of this date. It carries the A73 over the Clyde about two miles south-east of Lanark, and is a five-span sandstone masonry arch bridge. The central arch is of 60 ft span and 17 ft rise, flanked by spans of 55 ft and 30 ft on each side. All are segmental in shape, with a curving moulding over the 212 ft deep archstones.
The approach parapets are adorned by plain masonry obelisks and the clear width between parapets is 19 ft.
The cutwaters are of streamlined curved form – a shape imported from France and also seen on Teviot Bridge,
Kelso, by the same designer. Above the piers are semicircular buttresses rising to parapet level. Several mason marks can be seen on the approaches.
The designer and builder was Alexander Stevens, a leading bridge builder of his time.
R Paxton and S Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission of Thomas Telford Publishers.
