Portobello Bridge

Last updated

Portobello Bridge
Portobello bridge, River Avon - geograph.org.uk - 1229763.jpg
A view of the south side of the bridge.
Coordinates 52°17′21″N1°33′36″W / 52.289216°N 1.560064°W / 52.289216; -1.560064
Locale Warwick, Warwick District, Warwickshire, England
Heritage status Grade II listed
Historic England list entry number1271475
Characteristics
No. of spans3
No. of lanes 2
History
DesignerJohn Nichol
Constructed byThomas Townshend
Opened1831
Location
Portobello Bridge

Portobello Bridge is a grade II listed road bridge across the River Avon between the towns of Warwick and Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It carries the A445 Emscote Road, [1] historically the main route between Warwick and Rugby. [2]

Contents

History

The bridge was originally built in 1831. The building contractor was Thomas Townshend, and the design has been attributed to John Nichol, County Surveyor. [3] Its construction was paid for by local landowner Bertie Greatheed and the Earl of Warwick to replace an older bridge nearby which had failed. [4] The earlier structure, Emscote Bridge, was in existence by 1625 but became so unsafe that it was demolished in 1830 and replaced by the present bridge 20 yards (18 m) downstream. It cost £9,000. [5]

The bridge, which was restored in 1892, [3] formed part of the route for the Leamington & Warwick Tramways & Omnibus Company from 1881 until its closure in 1930. [6] Close to the bridge, in 1857, water began to be drawn for the river to supply Warwick, and a pumping station was built shortly afterwards.

Description

Portobello Bridge is a masonry bridge with 3 spans in the form of wide elliptical arches, made of brick with ashlar facing. Each arch has rusticated detail in its voussoir, and large niches are set into each pier. There are pedestrian walkways on both sides: that on the north side dates from the late 19th century and is of wrought iron with a latticework parapet, while the southern walkway was added in the mid-20th century and has steel railings. The arches are supported by moulded plinths. [3]

Warwick District Council describes the bridge and the adjacent undeveloped riverbanks as "form[ing] part of the critical green gap" between Warwick and Leamington Spa. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford-upon-Avon</span> Town in Warwickshire, England

Stratford-upon-Avon, commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, 91 miles (146 km) north-west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Warwick. The town is the southernmost point of the Arden area at the northern extremity of the Cotswolds. In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Avon, Warwickshire</span> River in central England

The River Avon, also in central England flows generally southwestwards and is a major left-bank and easternmost tributary of the River Severn. It is also known as the Warwickshire Avon or Shakespeare's Avon, to distinguish it from several other rivers of the same name in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leamington Spa</span> Spa town in Warwickshire, England

Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington, is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam, which flows through the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southam</span> Human settlement in England

Southam is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is situated on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town. In the 2021 census, the population of Southam was 8,114.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick</span> Town and the county town of Warwickshire, England

Warwick is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry, and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whitnash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwickshire</span> County of England

Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick District</span> Local government district in Warwickshire, England

Warwick is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. It is named after the historic county town of Warwick, which is the district's second largest town; the largest town is Royal Leamington Spa, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Kenilworth and Whitnash and surrounding villages and rural areas. Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash form a conurbation which has about two thirds of the district's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitnash</span> Human settlement in England

Whitnash is a town and civil parish located southeast of, and contiguous with Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,760 which increased to 9,129 in the 2011 census, increasing again to 10,489 in the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick and Leamington (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

Warwick and Leamington is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the 2017 general election by Matt Western of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leek Wootton</span> Human settlement in England

Leek Wootton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Leek Wootton and Guy's Cliffe, in the Warwick district, in the county of Warwickshire, England, approximately 2 miles south of Kenilworth and 2.5 miles north of Warwick. It lies in the triangle created by Kenilworth, Warwick and Leamington Spa. In 1961 the parish had a population of 671.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lillington, Warwickshire</span> Human settlement in England

Lillington is a suburb of Leamington Spa, in the civil parish of Royal Leamington Spa, in the Warwick District in the county of Warwickshire, England. Historically a village which existed before the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it was incorporated into the borough of Leamington in 1890. Lillington is a ward of Warwick District Council and Royal Leamington Spa Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barford, Warwickshire</span> Human settlement in England

Barford is a village and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England, about three miles south of Warwick. As at the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,171, that increased to 1,336 at the 2011 census. The Joint parish council also runs the villages of Sherbourne and Wasperton. In March 2014 "The Sunday Times" listed the village as one of the Top 10 places to live in The Midlands. In the village there are two pubs, a hotel with swimming pool, and a village shop owned and run by the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwickshire Police</span> English territorial police force

Warwickshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Warwickshire in England. It is the second smallest territorial police force in England and Wales after the City of London Police, with only 823 regular officers as of September 2017. The resident population of the force area is 554,002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Milverton</span>

Old Milverton is a hamlet east of Warwick and north west of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England, and situated in a bend of the River Avon. The population as taken at the 2011 census was 319.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A445 road</span> Road in Warwickshire

The A445 road is a road in Warwickshire, England. It runs between the town of Warwick and the A45, also passing through the north of Leamington Spa. The road provides the major link between Leamington/Warwick and north-east Warwickshire, including Rugby and the M45/M1 motorways. The M45/M1 provided the major route to London until the early 1990s but have now been superseded by the M40, which passes to the south of the Leamington/Warwick conurbation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway railway station</span> Railway station in Warwickshire, England

Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway is a railway station located on the northern outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. It is on the North Warwickshire Line, adjacent to the A46.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leamington & Warwick Tramways & Omnibus Company</span>

The Leamington & Warwick Tramways & Omnibus Company operated a tramway service between Warwick and Leamington Spa between 1881 and 1930.

References

  1. ↑ "Portobello Bridge, Warwick" (PDF). Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Canal Conservation Area" (PDF). §4, p.6: Warwick District Council. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Portobello Bridge (1271475)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Cullen, Mick (27 August 2015). "A Curious Footpath". Leamington History Group. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 6, Knightlow Hundred. Parishes: Milverton". Victoria County History of Warwickshire. British History Online. 1951. pp. 164–167. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Jeffs, Mick (11 November 2013). "Tramway to Royal Leamington Spa". Leamington History Group. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Canal Conservation Area" (PDF). §4, p.1: Warwick District Council. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.