Old Wye Bridge
| Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Coordinates | 51°38′44″N 2°40′14″W / 51.6456°N 2.6705°WCoordinates: 51°38′44″N 2°40′14″W / 51.6456°N 2.6705°W |
| Crosses | River Wye |
| Locale |
Chepstow, Monmouthshire Tutshill, Gloucestershire |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Cast iron, stone |
| Total length | 106 metres (116 yd) |
| No. of spans | 5 |
| History | |
| Designer | John Rastrick |
| Construction end | 1816 |
| Replaces | Earlier, wooden bridge |
The Old Wye Bridge or Town Bridge at Chepstow crosses the River Wye between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England, close to Chepstow Castle. Although there had been earlier wooden bridges on the site since Norman times, the current road bridge was constructed of cast iron in 1816 during the Regency period, by John Rastrick of Bridgnorth, who greatly modified earlier plans by John Rennie.
The bridge crosses a river with one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. It carried the main A48 road between Newport and Gloucester until 1988, when a new road bridge was opened downstream alongside Chepstow Railway Bridge. The road bridge now carries local traffic between Chepstow and Tutshill. It is a Grade I listed building.
Before the Roman period, the crossing of the Wye farthest downstream was at Tintern. The Romans built a crossing some 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) upstream of the current bridge at Chepstow, and this is thought to have continued in use for centuries thereafter. There was a small hospital and chapel dedicated to St. David on the Gloucestershire side of the bridge, which was described as ruined in 1573. Some remains of the Roman bridge were revealed in 1911 by Dr. Orville Owen during his excavations in the river bed.
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Wikipedia