MSO8547 - 19th Century bridge over Winn Brook, Exford Road, Winsford (Building)

SS 907349. Bridge over Winn Brook, Scheduled, Somerset 197. [1] SS 906349. "A picturesque but vernacular bridge of two low arches with pointed cutwaters. The structure remains undisturbed. Is a low stone parapet, and roadway is 8 to 9 metres across and has tarmac on a stone base". "Bridge is used by pedestrians and limited vehicular traffic to the houses to the north of it. A newer road takes most of the traffic running north to south through the village. There is a parking area between the old road and the new". Dated as medieval. [2,3] The bridge across the Winn Brook at SS 9062 3490 was until 1928, when a new bridge was built 20 metres to the east, the main bridge on the Exford Road. It is now reduced to serving local traffic and pedestrians. Although the essential details are as recorded by [2] it is questionably medieval and it is certainly not picturesque, looking as it does rather like a double culvert. In fact there is a strong possibility that the wrong bridge has been scheduled as the well known, picturesque Smithy Packhorse Bridge (MSO8545) some 70 metres to the west on the same brook is not noted by the Department Of the Environment at all. [4] Until the construction of a new bridge 20 metres to the east in 1928, this bridge carried the Exford road north. It may be of Medieval origin, but the structure is more likely to be post-medieval. The bridge carries a roadway 8 to 9 metres in width, on two low arches with pointed cutwaters. [5] Road bridge over stream. Built 19th Century in two phases. Local slate rubble. Small 2 span bridge with roughly dressed segmental arches, the central pier with a small cutwater on the upstream [west] side and low parapets with on edge slate rubble coping. The parapets over the abutments are swept out and continue as a revetment for the bank to the southeast. Raised bed under the bridge forms slight waterfall on the downstream [east] side. Wide carriageway of 8 to 9 metres, so the arches form two parallel tunnels; the bridge was considerably widened on the downstream east side later in the 19th Century. NOTE: This bridge spans Winn Brook, a tributary of the River Exe. Upstream to the west there is a ford with a simple clapper footbridge beside it and downstream to the east the 1928 Winn Bridge now carries traffic through the village of Winsford. An attractive small vernacular bridge in an Exmoor village. [5] There has been confusion as to whether this bridge, or MSO8545, is Scheduled Monument Somerset 197. [6] This bridge descheduled but remains Listed. [7] The bridge was photographed in June 1986. [8-10] A ford is shown in this location on the Winsford Tithe Map of 1839, but no bridge. [11] The bridge is depicted on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps, with an Ordnance Survey benchmark marked on the western elevation of the eastern parapet. [12,13] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [14] Winsford was designated as a conservation area in 2023. The new appraisal was produced as part of the adoption of the conservation area. [15]