Cenarth Bridge
| Cenarth Bridge | |
|---|---|
Cenarth Bridge from the north bank (Ceredigion)
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| Coordinates | 52°02′42″N 4°31′27″W / 52.0451°N 4.5242°WCoordinates: 52°02′42″N 4°31′27″W / 52.0451°N 4.5242°W |
| Carries | A484 road |
| Crosses | River Teifi |
| Locale | Cenarth, Wales |
| Heritage status | Scheduled monument |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Width | 4.75 m (15.6 ft) |
| Longest span | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| History | |
| Designer | David Edwards |
| Construction start | 1785 |
| Construction end | 1787 |
Cenarth Bridge (Welsh: Pont Cenarth), also spelt Kenarth Bridge, is a three arch bridge which spans the River Teifi at Cenarth, Carmarthenshire in Wales. The bridge was built between 1785 and 1787 and designed by David Edwards, the son of William Edwards who built the Old Bridge at Pontypridd. The bridge straddles the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. It is both a Grade II* listed structure and a scheduled monument.
A bridge over the River Teifi at Cenarth has existed at least since 1188, when it was mentioned in the writings of Gerald of Wales. The present bridge was constructed between 1785 and 1787 by Messrs Watkins and Webb. It was designed by David Edwards (born 1748), who also built the Llandeilo Yr Ynys bridge near Nantgaredig earlier in 1786 and the later Newport Bridge.
The bridge was designed to carry horse-drawn vehicles and has three stone arches which span 11.6 m (38 ft), 11.9 m (39 ft) and 12.2 m (40 ft). The bridge is made of ashlar masonry and rubble stone with the parapet coping in rough slate. The design includes two cylindrical holes (perforated spandrels) 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter, one either side of the central span. The holes were included in the design to reduce the weight of the structure and also to allow floodwaters to pass through them, instead of going over the top of the bridge: while the river appears to flow only under the southern arch, when in full flood the Teifi flows through all three arches. This feature was used by Edwards's father William, who used six holes in the Old Bridge at Pontypridd to reduce the weight and pressure on the centre section.
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