Archaeology Notes
Event ID 719586
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/719586
NT53SE 52 From 57521 34648 to 57549 34722
For adjacent railway viaduct and successor road bridge, see NT53SE 76 and NT53SE 77 respectively.
Drygrange Bridge (FB) [NAT]
OS 1:10,000 map, 1992.
(NT 5753 3467). Drygrange Bridge was built between 1776 and 1780. It crosses the River Tweed in a central segmental archway flanked at either end by a semicircular archway; in addition there is a large arched recess in the S abutment. The cut-waters of the central arch support piers which terminate in angled refuges. The parapets are borne on a rising corbel-course and seem to have been renewed from that level upwards. They bear pyramidal finials at either approach. The roadway is 16ft 5ins (5m) wide above the arches and 25ft 6ins (7.8m) wide at the approaches.
RCAHMS 1956, visited 1951.
(Location cited as NT 576 347). Drygrange Bridge, Leaderfoot. Built 1776-80. A 4-span rubble bridge with a large central segmental arch flanked by two semicircular arches. At the south end is a small semicircular arch, possibly designed as an accommodation arch. From the line of the dentilated string course it appears that the bridge has been raised at the ends to make the carrieageway more nearly level.
J R Hume 1976.
Drygrange Bridge was built by Alexander Stevens in 1777-80, and forms part of the group known irreverently as Tripontium. It has a central span of 31m (exceptional for its date) and an incised plaque at the N end.
C A Strang 1994.
This bridge (which is now closed to road traffic) carries the former line of the A68 (T) public road over the River Tweed a short distance above its junction with the Leader Water.
The location assigned to this record defines the centre of the span. The available map evidence suggests that it extends from NT c. 57522 34647 to NT c. 57550 34721.
The bridge is visible on vertical air photographs (OS 73/324/003-4, flown 1973.)
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 15 October 1997.
