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Brents Bridge, Bridge Rd

LHL125

Published on Thursday, September 4.

Updated on Friday, September 12.

Brents bridge stone abutments, bridge opening machinery and machinery house two bridge personnel shelters. The extant shared stone and brick bridge, and lock gate, abutments are likely to reflect more than one building and re-building campaign but they have not been professionally examined in detail for this. The first lock gates were erected during the 1842/43 Creek realignment works to contain water within the new Creek Basin. One source notes that prior to 1881 the Brents bridge here was only 3 feet 6 inches between handrails and could be horizontally withdrawn (on four flanged wheels) to allow vessels to pass. The implication of this is that 1881 saw the later swing bridge installed. Another source writing in 2004 notes that 'hydraulic accumulators and a hand-operated pump of 1878 still provide the means of lifting the (swing) bridge off its seating's (2004 Conservation Area Appraisal). It is believed that this machinery still survives in the white rendered and slate roofed bridge house at the north east comer of the bridge. Two very small single storey 19th century yellow brick and slate roofed personnel shelters stand to east and west of the bridge on its south side. All the structures and features described, including the bridge control machinery, are of great interest historically and contribute to Conservation Area character.