Information for record number MWA32:
Water Orton Bridge

Summary Water Orton Bridge, the remains of a sandstone Bridge of Medieval/Post Medieval date It is situated 250m north west of Water Orton Railway Station.
What Is It?  
Type: Road Bridge
Period: Medieval - Modern (1066 AD - 2050 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Water Orton
District: North Warwickshire, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 17 91
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Scheduled Monument (Grade: )
Listed Building (Grade: II)
Sites & Monuments Record
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 In 1459 a bridge at Water Orton was 'out of repair' and Bishop Reynold Bowlers issued an indulgence to all who contributed to its repair.
2 Bishop Vesey built bridges here and at Curdworth around 1520 and the present bridge appears to be of about this date. Two carved stones, one a corbel supported by an angel, the other part of a draped image, taken from the bridge in recent times, are now in Curdworth Church.
4 It is recorded on Bishop Vesey's tomb, in Sutton Coldfield Church, that this bridge was built by him. It is built of rough ashlar and consists of six 5m round arches and five 2m piers with cutwaters on both faces. There have been later repairs, especially to the points of the E cutwaters.
6 The bridge has been renovated since 1953.
7 A bridge, built of sandstone, and with 5 segmented arches and 1 dry arch; there are triangular refuges on the piers. It is said to have been built by Bishop Vesey with stone brought from the manor house at Sutton Coldfield. It is certainly built of old masonry, as there are fragments of sculpture incorporated in the bridge. The bridge has been sympathetically repaired and has not been widened. The bridge is about 2m wide with a 0.46 cm parapet; the span is about 45m. The bridge is protected by curbstones and appears to be in good order.
8 cf West Midlands SMR No 1138. bridge with solid parapets, over River Tame
9 Parapets damaged and repaired 1960's onwards.
10 A sandstone bridge with 6 spans carrying the Water Orton to Minworth road over the River Tame. All arches are segmental with arch rings 12" thick, overall width 11ft 6in. The arches are formed in smooth ashlar masonry. Spans 1 and 2 (from the North) rise 5ft. The river flows through arches 2,3,4 and 5 in times of normal flow. There are substantial cutwaters on both faces, extending up to roadway level to form pedestrian refuges, necessary in view of the narrow roadway. The cutwaters extend approximately 5ft beyond the inner side of the parapet wall and are about 6ft 4in wide. The abutment on the south side is buttressed. The roadway is only 8ft 8in wide with low kerbs 6in wide and there is a width and weight restriction on the bridge.
 
Sources
Source No: 4
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 4, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Salzman L F (ed)
Date: 1947
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 4
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Antiquities of Warwickshire
Author/originator: Dugdale W
Date: 1730
Page Number: 1056
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Bibliographic reference
Author/originator: West Midlands SMR
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: PRN 3180
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Building Survey
Title: Panel for Historical Engineering Works
Author/originator: Institution of Civil Engineers
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: LBL
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1951
Page Number: 5
Volume/Sheet: Tamworth Rural
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: Historic Road Bridges in Warwickshire
Author/originator: N.Palmer and G. Booth
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Photograph
Title: Five bridges
Author/originator: Sapcote E S
Date: 1951
Page Number: Plate 5f
Volume/Sheet: 69
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 29NW3
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1976
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 29NW3
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 69
Author/originator: Sapcote E S
Date: 1951
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 69
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list 1985
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
A bridge over the River Tame at Water Orton
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 1960
Click here for larger image  
 
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
none Scheduled Monument Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are those archaeological sites which are legally recognised as being of national importance. They can range in date from prehistoric times to the Cold War period. They can take many different forms, including disused buildings or sites surviving as earthworks or cropmarks.

SAMs are protected by law from unlicensed disturbance and metal detecting. Written consent from the Secretary of State must be obtained before any sort of work can begin, including archaeological work such as geophysical survey or archaeological excavation. There are nearly 200 SAMs in Warwickshire.
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designation Listed Building Buildings and structures, such as bridges, that are of architectural or historical importance are placed on a statutory list. These buildings are protected by planning and conservation acts that ensure that their special features of interest are considered before any alterations are made to them.

Depending on how important the buildings are they are classed as Grade I, Grade II* or Grade II. Grade I buildings are those of exceptional interest. Grade II* are particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Those listed as Grade II are those buildings that are regarded of special interest.
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source LBL Listed Building List. Buildings and structures, such as bridges, that are of architectural or historical importance are placed on a list. Buildings placed on the list are protected through various planning and conservation acts which ensure that their special features of interest are considered before any alterations are made to them. The Listed Buildings List is compiled and maintained by English Heritage. It includes details of where the building is, when it was built, a description of its appearance, and any other special features. back
source OS Card Ordnance Survey Record Card. Before the 1970s the Ordnance Survey (OS) were responsible for recording archaeological monuments during mapping exercises. This helped the Ordnance Survey to decide which monuments to publish on maps. During these exercises the details of the monuments were written down on record cards. Copies of some of the cards are kept at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. The responsibility for recording archaeological monuments later passed to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments. back
source SAM List Scheduled Ancient Monument List. A list or schedule of archaelogical and historic monuments that are considered to be of national importance. The list contains a detailed description of each Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and a map showing their location and extent. By being placed on the schedule, SAMs are protected by law from any unauthorised distrubance. The list has been compiled and is maintained by English Heritage. It is updated periodically. back
source TBAS Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society is a journal produced by the society annually. It contains articles about archaeological field work that has taken place in Birmingham and Warwickshire in previous years. Copies of the journal are kept by the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
period Modern The Modern Period, about 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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period Post Medieval About 1540 AD to 1750 AD (the 16th century AD to the 18th century AD)

The Post Medieval period comes after the medieval period and before the Imperial period.

This period covers the second half of the reign of the Tudors (1485 – 1603), the reign of the Stuarts (1603 – 1702) and the beginning of the reign of the Hannoverians (1714 – 1836).
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period modern About 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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monument ROADWAY * The central part of a road between the pavements or the verges. back
monument CARVED STONE * A stone (including standing stones, natural boulders and rock outcrops) decorated with carved motifs. back
monument RAILWAY STATION * A place where railway trains regularly stop for taking up and setting down passengers or for receiving goods for transport. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument MANOR HOUSE * The principal house of a manor or village. back
monument ARCH * A structure over an opening usually formed of wedge-shaped blocks of brick or stone held together by mutual pressure and supported at the sides; they can also be formed from moulded concrete/ cast metal. A component; use for free-standing structure only. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument PIER * A structure of iron or wood, open below, running out into the sea and used as a promenade and landing stage. back
monument BRIDGE * A structure of wood, stone, iron, brick or concrete, etc, with one or more intervals under it to span a river or other space. Use specific type where known. back
monument ROAD BRIDGE * A bridge carrying a road over land or water. back
monument SCULPTURE * A figurative or abstract design in the round or in relief, made by chiselling stone, carving wood, modelling clay, casting metal, or similar processes. back
monument ENGINEERING WORKS * Any factory or site using machine tools in a manufacturing or processing capacity. back
monument ROUND * A small, Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement found in South West England. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back
monument TOMB * A grave or sepulchre including a monument. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record