Medieval bridge at Starabridge

Heritage listing

Details The monument includes a largely medieval bridge with some later modification, which crosses the River Lynher 0.9km north west of the village of Rilla Mill in east Cornwall. The monument also includes a post-medieval floodwater tunnel under the bridge's eastern causeway and two late 19th-early 20th century cast iron plaques on the parapets which derive from an early weight restriction. The bridge crosses the River Lynher east-west in three spans, beyond which a short causeway on each side carries the road up to the bridge over the riverbanks. The road over the bridge's spans is supported by massive flat granite slabs called clappers which rest on the piers and abutments, giving square openings ranging from 2.3m to 2.45m wide. The two piers differ quite markedly, reflecting differing phases of build and repair. The western pier is 2m-2.1m wide, narrower than the eastern at 2.7m-2.85m wide. Both were provided with pointed cutwaters at each end, as still survive on the western pier, but much of its downstream cutwater of the eastern pier has been truncated to leave a stump of its lower eastern masonry and a waterworn slab on which it was founded. Both piers are faced largely by granite blocks. On the western pier these are roughly dressed and highly weathered, especially on the upstream cutwater. On the eastern pier, the upstream cutwater is faced by neatly dressed and squared granite slabs, with less regular granite masonry along the sides; the modified face truncating the downstream cutwater has a heavily pointed combination of granite and local stone rubble. The bridge abutments are faced towards the river by masonry mostly of roughly dressed granite slabs with some local rubble. Behind the abutments, causeways take the carriageway across the riverbanks to rejoin

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.