Archaeology Notes

Event ID 792309

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/792309

NN84NE 36 85134 49298

Tay Bridge [NAT]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1977.

NMRS REFERENCE:

Architect: William Adam, 1733.

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE

Obelisks for the Wade Bridge. 'Thomas Winter is not yet come to the place (Aberuthven) being General Wade has ordered some obelisks to be set over the great pillars of the Bridge of Tay, which Thomas is now about finishing off.'

Letter William Adam to Mungo Graham of Gorthie, 1734.

GD 220/5/1318/3.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Forming part of the Stirling - Inverness military road (NN84NE 46, MR 3).

M Ferguson 1891.

(Location cited as NN 852 493). Aberfeldy, Wade Bridge. Built 1733, the first stone being laid on 23 April, architect William Adam, to the order of Lt-Gen. G Wade. A five-span bridge more than 300 ft (91.4m) long, constructed of grey chlorite schist and with dressed-stone arch rings and rubble spandrels. The starlings are made of oak and the piles beneath the piers and landbreasts are shod with iron. The centre arch is appreciably longer than the other four, and has a raised parapet with four obelisks. The arches are segmental and the cutwaters triangular. The finest bridge, architecturally, on the Scottish military-road system.

J B Salmond 1938; J R Hume 1977.

This bridge carries the B846 public road across the River Tay on the NW outskirts of Aberfeldy village (NN84NE 35). This road formerly formed part of the military road MR 3 (LIN 501), and the river here forms the boundary between the parishes of Weem (to the W) and Dull (to the E).

The location assigned to this record indicates the midpoint of the structure. The available map evidence indicates that it extends from NN c. 85100 49306 to NN c. 85168 49290.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 25 May 2006.