Lothian Bridge

Heritage listing

Category A Date Added 22/01/1971 Local Authority Midlothian Planning Authority Midlothian Parish Crichton NGR NT 39100 64527 Coordinates 339100, 664527 — Thomas Telford (engineer) & James Lees (builder), 1827-1831. 5 semi-circular arched bridge; segmental arches carrying footpath, triangular buttresses; wing walls. Droved ashlar; impost and parapet course; tarmac roadway. SW AND NE ELEVATIONS: 5 semi-circular ashlar arches on piers: ashlar voussoirs and abutments, impost course; 5 projecting flattened segmental arches on decorative pilasters adjoining main piers; triangular supporting buttress to each end, retaining wall, curved wing walls flanking. NW TO SE ELEVATION: 2-lane road, footpaths flanking; ashlar parapet with insets (inscribed with date), flat copes. — Described as having a truly picturesque and commanding appearance, the bridge now carries the A68 across the Tyne. The river had been passable using the ford, that gave its name to the village, but increasing amounts of traffic on the route led to the bridge being built. Instrumental in its building was Sir John Dalrymple, the Convenor of Roads in the district. The bridge is contemporary with Telford's Dean Bridge in Edinburgh, and adheres to the same design. Telford developed the arch-on-arch style during earlier bridge widening schemes, when he realised it provided aesthetic appeal by shadowing the original structure. Adding pilasters to the piers allowed the secondary arch to spring from the structure, so on higher bridges such as these the superstructure appears less massive.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.