Ancrum, Old Ancrum Bridge

The Dictionary of Scottish Architects records that the bridge was built in 1784 by Alexander Stevens Senior.

Information from The Dictionary of Scottish Architects (ND)

Ancrum Bridge.

Though the Teviot was bridged at Ancrum before 1764 (1), this bridge undoubtedly dates from some later time and is probably one of the twenty-four major bridges built between 1764 and 1813 (2). It may well, however, have been standing in 1794 (2). It is a handsome structure of local freestone which crosses the river in two segmental arches, while a third arch carries the roadway over the flat left bank, which is liable to be flooded. The width of the roadway is about 18 ft. for the most part, but it widens at either end of the bridge and there the parapet ends in conical finials. The parapet is set out on corbels and dips from the central span. The arches are built with voussoirs alternately projecting. Between the arches there are cut-waters, and these are carried up to the parapet level in order to provide refuges for pedestrians. The N. cut-water on the W. side exhibits a shield on its NW. face. The shield is charged: A heart voided, probably for Douglas of Bonjedward.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 16 April 1946.

(1) Douglas, General View of the Agriculture of the Counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk, 198.

(2) Ibid, 200

(3) Stat. Acct., x (1794), 293

Visibility: Standing structure or monument.

Information from Scottish Borders Council

NT 63871 23750 The medieval bridge (Canmore ID: 57137) was discovered by the Ancrum and District Heritage Society (ADHS) in the bed of the River Teviot, in 2018 (DES Volume 21, 111; DES Volume 22, 144–5). The discovery serendipitously coincided with the SESOD project and seven oak timber samples from ‘Ancrum Old Bridge’ have been studied. The character of the timbers indicates a local native source. There is some internal cross-matching, but the oaks are quite young and in the absence of local native oak reference data for this period, dating the bridge so far relies on radiocarbon dating, undertaken by SUERC. A high precision wiggle-match date from Sample AOB03, of 62 years with intact bark edge, provides a felling date within the range AD 1340–1360 (95.4% confidence limits, SUERC codes GU55375–55378). A subsequent CARD- fund radiocarbon date (GU58075) on the single largest timber, Sample AOB04, indicates it belongs to the same construction phase as AOB03 contra initial thoughts that it might be re- used from an earlier structure. The result indicates the outer heartwood rings of AOB04 fall into two possible calibrated ranges at 95.4% confidence limits: AD 1305–1365 explains 70.6% and AD 1383–1410 24.8% of the distribution but the period AD 1322–1357 is more strongly indicated at 68.3% confidence limits. In general, this range appears a little earlier than AOB03 because the sapwood is missing on AOB04 and the dates are for the outer heartwood rings. Research continues through ADHS on the historical and landscape context of the medieval bridge. Full details of these and other SESOD results will be given in the project publication. See also the SESOD overview (p6).

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland, The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and, for the CARD-fund date, Archaeological Services Ltd and SUERC

Coralie M Mills – Dendrochronicle

(Source: DES Volume 23)