Tullibody Old Bridge
Encyclopedia
Tullibody Old Bridge, over the River Devon
near
Tullibody
, Clackmannanshire
, Scotland
, dates from the early 16th century. Disused after 1915, it was restored for use by walkers and cyclists in 2003.
and was designed to impede the rapid transit of horse traffic. The plan shows two opposed bends.
With two main arches and three flood arches to the west, its great length (442ft or 134.7m) probably reflects the difficulty in crossing the flood plain at this point.
The eastern arch was demolished by William Kirkcaldy of Grange in 1559, to hamper French troops during the regency of Mary of Guise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots. The French, however, improvised a bridge using timbers from the roof of the nearby Tullibody Old Kirk
, and carried on from Fife to Stirling. A more permanent repair was made in 1560.
was repaired several times with funds raised by tolls levied on users.
In 1697 Thomas Bauchop, a mason, received a contract for repairs from the Earl of Mar. In that year he or his son, Alloa Master Mason Tobias Bauchop, built a new eastern arch and inserted iron
ties.
In January 2003, Clackmannanshire Council began restoring the Old Bridge: Vegetation clearance, resurfacing and structural repairs to the masonry in accordance with conditions laid down by Historic Scotland
. The project was completed in January 2005 and Tullibody Old Bridge now forms part of the National Cycle Network in Clackmannanshire.
It is protected as a Category A listed building,
and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
River Devon, Clackmannanshire
The River Devon is a tributary of the River Forth in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.-Geography:The source of the river is Blairdenon Hill in the Ochils at an altitude of ....
near
Tullibody
Tullibody
Tullibody is a town set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth near to the foot of the Ochil Hills within the Forth Valley. The town is south-west of Alva, north-west of Alloa and east-northeast of Stirling...
, Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, dates from the early 16th century. Disused after 1915, it was restored for use by walkers and cyclists in 2003.
Sixteenth century
It was was built early in the 16th century, constructed of rubble with some ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
and was designed to impede the rapid transit of horse traffic. The plan shows two opposed bends.
With two main arches and three flood arches to the west, its great length (442ft or 134.7m) probably reflects the difficulty in crossing the flood plain at this point.
The eastern arch was demolished by William Kirkcaldy of Grange in 1559, to hamper French troops during the regency of Mary of Guise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots. The French, however, improvised a bridge using timbers from the roof of the nearby Tullibody Old Kirk
Tullibody Old Kirk
Tullibody Old Kirk is a ruined 12th-century church in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It was rebuilt in the 16th century, and restored again in 1760. The roofless building is protected as a Category A listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. In 1904, St Serf's Parish Church was...
, and carried on from Fife to Stirling. A more permanent repair was made in 1560.
Seventeenth century
In the 17th century the bridge was often in a ruined state butwas repaired several times with funds raised by tolls levied on users.
In 1697 Thomas Bauchop, a mason, received a contract for repairs from the Earl of Mar. In that year he or his son, Alloa Master Mason Tobias Bauchop, built a new eastern arch and inserted iron
ties.
Recent history
The Old Bridge went out of use in 1915 in favour of a lattice steel girder bridge, Downie's Bridge, built a short distance to the north to carry the A907 road. In 1999 the A907 was re-routed over the present concrete structure and the steel bridge, long neglected, was demolished in 2003.In January 2003, Clackmannanshire Council began restoring the Old Bridge: Vegetation clearance, resurfacing and structural repairs to the masonry in accordance with conditions laid down by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
. The project was completed in January 2005 and Tullibody Old Bridge now forms part of the National Cycle Network in Clackmannanshire.
It is protected as a Category A listed building,
and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.