Lovelace Bridges
The Lovelace Bridges were built by William King, 1st Earl of Lovelace (1805-1893) on his estate at East Horsley, Surrey, in the 1860s. Fifteen bridges were built to facilitate the transport of timber by horse-drawn carts. The bridges were built where the tracks crossed existing bridleways or roads. Ten bridges still exist.[1]
The bridges were constructed from local flint and brick; they all had plaques with their name and dates. Most of the bridges are horseshoe shaped "Moorish" design, between a span of six feet at Meadow Plat to eighteen feet for the Dorking Arch, which crosses Crocknorth road. The Earl had his own brickworks in West Horsley/Ockham and the lime for the mortar would have been local, possibly from chalk pits in Kiln Field Coppice. The saw mill was near Brockhole Cross, near the junction with Outdowns on the Epsom Road.
There is a Lovelace Bridges Trail produced by the Horsley Countryside Preservation Society and there is a project to conserve the bridges managed by Forest Enterprise England.
Remaining bridges
| Bridge | Listed Building Grade | Reference Number | Location | Grid Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briary Hill East Bridge | II | 1294884 | Honeysuckle Bottom, East Horsley | TQ 09956 50813 | [2] |
| Briary Hill West Bridge | II | 1029417 | Honeysuckle Bottom, East Horsley | TQ 09854 50818 | [3] |
| Dorking Arch Bridge | II | 1187984 | Crocknorth Road, East Horsley | TQ 09983 51163 | [4] |
| Hermitage Bridge | II | 1377858 | Sheepwalk Lane, East Horsley | TQ 10200 50209 | [5] |
| Meadow Plat Bridge | Effingham | TQ 107508 | |||
| Oldlands Bridge | II | 1029395 | Outdowns, Effingham | TQ 10686 52185 | [6] |
| Raven Arch Bridge | II | 1029416 | Honeysuckle Bottom, East Horsley | TQ 09625 51058 | [7] |
| Robin Hood Bridge | II | 1294880 | Green Dene, East Horsley | TQ 09694 51332 | [8] |
| Stoney Dene Bridge | II | 1246731 | Effingham | TQ 10567 51746 | [9] |
| Troy Bridge | II | 1029426 | Sheepwalk Lane, East Horsley | TQ 09576 50226 | [10] |
References
- ^ "East Horsley, The Lovelace Bridges". Exploring Surrey's Past.
- ^ Historic England. "BRIARY HILL (EAST) BRIDGE (1294884)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "UPPER BRIARY HILL BRIDGE (1029417)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "DORKING ARCH (1187984)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "HERMITAGE BRIDGE (1377858)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "OLDLANDS BRIDGE (1029395)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "RAVEN ARCH (1029416)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "ROBINS WOOD ARCH (1294880)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "STONY DENE BRIDGE (1246731)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "TROY BRIDGE (1029426)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 May 2019.