THE WELSH BRIDGE, so called on account of the road from Shrewsbury to a
considerable part of North Wales lying over it, is situated at the foot
of Mardol, and crosses the river into the populous suburb of Frankwell.
It is a bold and substantial structure, consisting of five arches, the
length being 266 feet and the breadth 30 feet, completed in 1795, at an
expense of £8000, raised by subscriptions. The old Welsh bridge taken
down on the erection of the above structure, was situated a few yards
higher up the stream than the present fabric. It was a most interesting
monument of antiquity, and consisted of seven arches, with massive gate
towers at each extremity, in the finest style of castellated building.
Leland, who visited Shrewsbury in 1539, in describing this bridge
says:—“It is the greatest, faynest, and highest upon the stream, having
six great arches of stone; it standeth on the west syde of the towne, and
hath at the one end of it a great gate to enter by into the towne; and at
the other end towardes Wales a mighty stronge towre to prohibit enemies
to enter on the bridge.” Above one of the gates stood an armed statue of
a knight, which was removed in 1791, and placed in a niche in front of
the Market-house. This effigy was an important object of attraction to
the Welshmen, from a tradition, that it represented Llewelyn, Prince of
Wales. Antiquaries, from its attendant embellishments, state it
represented Richard Duke of York. The tolls arising from marketable
goods over this bridge were abolished by the payment of £6000 to the
corporation, which sum was raised by public subscriptions.
THE RAILWAY VIADUCT over the Severn, situated a little east from the
station, consists of seven elliptical arches, forty-five span, and
thirty-six feet above the ordinary level of the river. The whole has a
bold, massive, and elegant appearance.—A BRIDGE of cast iron of
sixty-four feet span, crosses the Castle Foregate, and carries the four
lines of rails of the Chester and Shrewsbury railway.—A WOODEN BRIDGE,
consisting of two timber arches, eighty-five feet span each, on the bow
and spring principle, leads from the public walk called the Dana, over
the railway station, to the front of the county gaol.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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