Nel Logan's Bridge

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 16/08/1999 Supplementary Information Updated 16/08/1999 Local Authority Scottish Borders Planning Authority Scottish Borders Parish Bunkle And Preston NGR NT 79692 57176 Coordinates 379692, 657176 — Dated 1793 (?). Single arched bridge spanning Preston Burn, later enclosed on both sides to form cell beneath; small, segmental-arched opening for burn below. Harl-pointed sandstone rubble to bridge with tooled rubble dressings; weathered cream sandstone rubble to later infills. Rubble voussoir arches to both sides with central keystones (dated to N); rubble-coped parapets, splayed at either end. S ELEVATION: blocked, round-arched opening at centre with plain keystone; small, pointed-arched opening centred in cell below; segmental-arched opening beneath; arched door (?) opening off-set to left. N ELEVATION: blocked, round-arched opening at centre with keystone dated '1793'; small arrowslit centred in cell below; segmental-arched opening beneath. INTERIOR: not seen 1998. — An unusual and relatively early survival. At one time, the enclosure formed beneath this bridge was used as a jail - hence its sometimes being known as 'Cuddy's Gaol' ('cuddy' presumably deriving from the fact that the bridge was used primarily by horses and ox-wagons). A small hole in the floor of the cell is said to have allowed inmates to pull up water and deposit waste into the burn below. Nel Logan, a Preston woman imprisoned for stealing a sheep, was the last to be held here - hence its name today. Obscured by foliage in part (1998).

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.