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The Great Britain Guide

Historic bridges · South West England

Avon Bridge

VictorianFree admission

Avon Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.

Avon Bridge, historic bridges in South West England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
15 min–30 min
Nearest railway station
Lawrence Hill · 1.1 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Avon Bridge is a named historic bridge in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1839. Coordinates: 51.4496°, -2.5579°. This entry is part of The Great Britain Guide, a free, ad-free, open-data tourist directory.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

The Avon Bridge is a railway bridge over the River Avon in Brislington, Bristol, England. It was built in 1839 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and has been designated by Historic England as a Grade I listed building. The contract was originally awarded to William Ranger, who fell behind with the build and had his construction plant seized so the Great Western Railway company could finish construction. Ranger started legal proceedings against the company, but they were eventually quashed by Lord Cranworth.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The Avon Bridge is a railway bridge over the River Avon in Brislington, Bristol, England. It was built in 1839 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and has been designated by Historic England as a Grade I listed building. The contract was originally awarded to William Ranger, who fell behind with the build and had his construction plant seized so the Great Western Railway company could finish construction. Ranger started legal proceedings against the company, but they were eventually quashed by Lord Cranworth. The bridge carries the Great Western Main Line over the River Avon into Bristol Temple Meads station, approximately 300 metres (980 ft) west (downstream) of Netham Weir.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

The Great Western Railway company engaged Isambard Kingdom Brunel to build a bridge on the eastern approach to Bristol Temple Meads. Brunel designed a masonry bridge with a wide central arch and a smaller arch on either side; all three arches are in a gothic style. The entire structure is made of squared stone with semi-octagonal buttresses and was completed in 1839. The case was eventually settled by the Lord Cranworth, who stated that Ranger could not reject terms of the contract.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4496, -2.5579
Parish
Bristol, City of, unparished area
Postcode
BS2 0TS
Parliamentary constituency
Bristol East
Established
1839
Nearest railway station
Lawrence Hill1.1 km
Opening
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Sources

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Nearby

Other bridges from this era

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Avon Bridge?
Avon Bridge is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode BS2 0TS), in the parish of Bristol, City of, unparished area.
When was Avon Bridge built?
Built or established in 1839.
Is Avon Bridge a listed building?
Avon Bridge is officially recognised as category C listed building listed.
Is Avon Bridge a protected site?
Yes — Avon Bridge is part of the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is Avon Bridge free to visit?
Yes, Avon Bridge is free to enter.
How do I get to Avon Bridge?
The nearest railway station is Lawrence Hill, about 1.1 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BS2 0TS.