Building record 0167200000 - THORNBOROUGH BRIDGE

Dimensions - Length 50m, Width 4m.
Plan Form - Linear.
Crosses River Ouse between Thornborough & Buckingham parishes. Of stone, mainly C14, only Medieval example of its kind in county. Scheduled (B1,B4).
Repaired with blue brick etc. 6 4-centred arches. 3 cutwaters to S, carried up as passing places. Inscription tablet & shields (B7).
Photos during restoration, at BCM (B6).
Responsibility for repair of 'Totisbregge' in medieval period given in documentary sources (B2) and (B9).
Grade I. Bridge. C15, repaired and altered 1661 with other late C19 and C20 repairs. Coursed squared limestone with some ironstone, especially to lower courses, and limestone dressings; blue brick and cement repairs to bases of piers. Six 4-centred arches. Arch to east of centre is hollow-chamfered. That to west of centre is double hollow-chamfered. Both arches divided into 3 bays over channels by 2 hollow-chamfered ribs and have hoodmoulds to south side. Penultimate arches are chamfered with hoodmoulds; one label stop to north side, west end, of male head with mason's cap. Outer arches are chamfered and at some distance from others. 3 central piers have cutwaters to upstream (S) side only, carried up through parapet as passing places. Penultimate pier at west end has rectangular projection to north side with passing place and inscription panel to north face. This reads: THIS BRIDG WAS REPAIRED AT THE CHARGE OF THE/ COUNTY: ANO DOMINYI 166(1) ACCORDING TO ASESIONS/ ORDER: SR. RICHARD TEMPL(E) SR. TOBY TUREL BARRONETS/ AND THOMAS STAFFORD ESQUIR BEING APPOYNTED/ TO TAKE ORDER FOR THE DOING OF (T)HE SAME/ AND WILLIAM WOOLLHEA(D) OF THORNBOROW YEAMAN WAS/ TU....ER OF THE SAID WORK THOMAS N..O... THE SAYE The inscription, which is damaged and fractured in places, has reversed Ns and is flanked by raised shields. That to left reads: THOMAS/ WARD M/ ASUN, that to right: ROBERT/ COLLISON(?)/ MAS(ON). String course below inscription. Mason's(?) name inscribed on left side of pier, lower down, in similar script, JOHN CARR. Initials R and reversed W appear in other places. Irregular C20 stone coping. Approx half of bridge is in Thornborough CP. Bridge spans the Claydon Brook, not far upstream from its confluence with the River Ouse. Scheduled Ancient Monument. (RCHME: An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Buckinghamshire: 1913-: 297)(B10).
Bridge with six stone arches, the centre two accommodating the main flow of the river. These centre arches are more ornate with ribbed vaults and carved voussoirs. Both arches are divided into three bays over the channels by two hollow-chamfered ribs and have hoodmoulds to the south side. The four remaining arches, two on each side, are less ornate and intended for spring flooding overflows. There are three cutwaters on the south side central piers which are carried up through the parapet as passing pedestrian places. The north side has one square passing place with an inscription tablet and shields carved onto the pier below. A boundary stone in the middle of the bridge marks the parish boundary. Photos (B11).