Dumfries Old Bridge

Heritage listing

Category A Date Added 11/07/1961 Supplementary Information Updated 31/10/2024 Local Authority Dumfries And Galloway Planning Authority Dumfries And Galloway Burgh Dumfries NGR NX 96890 76053 Coordinates 296890, 576053 — Building began circa 1431, but much rebuilt and altered. Bridge comprising 6 - originally 9 - arches over River Nith. 1619 flood demolished 5 arches, these rebuilt (doubtless on 15th century piers or footings) 1620-21. Frequently repaired, eg Gilbert Smith, 1725; parapets rebuilt. 3 eastmost arches demolished in first half of 19th century as part of Whitesands land reclamation scheme. Built of coursed red sandstone, arches with ashlar voussoirs with chamfered edges and unribbed soffits, pointed cutwaters splayed inwards below level of arch crowns, central cutwaters carried upwards as pedestrian refuges and mark site of former "port" (toll-gate), demolished 1769 to lessen weight on pier (there had previously been 2 ports). Eastmost half of bridge is fairly regular on plan with parapets set at lower level (eastmost arch is slightly wider, steps at truncated E end; westmost half of bridge is irregular on plan), suggesting earlier building date, particularly at pointed westmost arch; abutments and parapets splayed towards N, perhaps to allow for possible defence. — Replaces earlier (?timber) bridge, usually attributed to Devorgilla Baliol, foundress of Sweetheart Abbey in late 13th century. Diary of Wm Grierson (copy in Ewart library) notes (p. 147) on 27th Oct 1794 "This day the Arch of the old bridge was taken down to open the road to the New Bridge,..."; but some early 19th century illustrations show 9 arches, and Gough in 1806 counted 9 arches (Edgar, p. 158n). Dickie agrees that one arch was removed 1794, adding that the last arch was removed in 1825. B

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.