MSO8545 - Winsford Smithy Bridge (Building)

(SS 9055 3489) FB (NAT) [1] Winsford Smithy Bridge on the River Winn is a 17th Century packhorse bridge with one segmental arch and a roadway width of 4 feet 6 inches. [2] Scheduled. [3] The bridge is as described above [see 11]. [4] Winsford Smithy Packhorse Bridge spans to Winn Brook at SS 9055 3488. It is as described by source 2 and is the most picturesque, interesting and important bridge in Winsford on the Winn Brook; it is not, however, scheduled as an ancient monument, this distinction being reserved for a very nondescript Bridge at SS 9062 3490 (SAM Som 197). [5] SS93SW WINSFORD CP WINSFORD VILLAGE 19/153 Packhorse bridge over Winn Brook at NGR SS 9055 3488 6.4.59 GV II Packhorse bridge over Winn Brook. Medieval in origin, restored 1952. Red sandstone random rubble, rubble voussoirs, hit and miss coping. Single span, semi-circular arch bridge. Remains of pebble pathway. Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset County No 197). (Photograph in NMR). [6] A replacement reinforced concrete arch bridge was built close by in 1928 and designed by Edward Stead, County Surveyor. The bridge has a stringcourse and level coping.The bridge is 12 feet in span. [7] SS 9055 3488. Medieval packhorse bridge over the Winn Brook. Listed Grade II and scheduled. The bridge with SAM No 197 is in fact a different bridge (See MSO8547), further to the east. Monument scheduled on 11 August 2003. [9] There has been confusion as to the scheduled status of this site and whether it was Monument Somerset 197. [10] The Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment of 2009 gave the site a survival score of 4. [14] The building was visited in March 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 5A. [15] The site was surveyed in March 2015 as part of the 2015 Exmoor Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment. It was given a survival score of 3. [16] A packhorse bridge crossing the River Winn of a medieval date and also an Ancient Monument, but much smaller and lower than MSO8541 to the north with a shallow arched single span, mainly of red sandstone rubble with end-on bedded coping, and some dressed stone to abutment and voussoir. It was restored in 1952. [17] An historic photograph of the bridge is held by Winsford Archive. [19] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [20] Winsford was designated as a conservation area in 2023. The new appraisal was produced as part of the adoption of the conservation area. [21]