Trinity Bridge, Crowland

Unique three-way stone arch bridge that stands at the heart of Crowland, Lincolnshire, England

Trinity Bridge

The triangular Trinity Bridge stands on dry land

Coordinates| 52°40′33″N 0°10′06″W﻿ / ﻿52.6757°N 0.168281°W﻿ / 52.6757; -0.168281﻿ (Trinity Bridge)
OS grid reference| TF 23939 10237
Carries| pedestrians
Crosses| formerly the River Welland and a tributary
Locale| Crowland, Lincolnshire, England
Heritage status| Grade I listed
Characteristics
Design| three-way arch bridge
Material| Stone
No. of spans| depends how you count them
Piers in water| 0
History
Construction start| 1360
Construction end| 1390
Location
The seated figure is thought to be that of Christ or of King Ethelbald and is possibly from the west front of the Croyland Abbey.

Trinity Bridge is a unique three-way stone arch bridge that stands at the heart of Crowland, Lincolnshire, England.[1] While it once spanned the confluence of the River Welland and a tributary, the rivers have been re-routed, and it now spans nothing significant.

## History[edit]

The current bridge dates to the 14th century (built between 1360 and 1390) and replaced previous wooden bridges. The earliest known mention of the bridge is by King Æthelbald of Mercia in 716. In 943 it was mentioned in a charter of Eadred.[2] The bridge is now a scheduled monument and Grade I listed.

The bridge is predominantly built from Barnack stone, which was quarried about 10 miles to the west of Crowland, and presumably transported by boat on the Welland.

This bridge has three stairways that converge at the top. Originally it spanned the River Welland and a tributary that flowed through the town, although the rivers were re-routed in the mid-seventeenth century[3] and no longer flow anywhere near the bridge. The bridge was an unusual and economical solution to the crossing of two watercourses at their confluence, reducing the need for three separate bridges to a single structure with three abutments.

In 1952 a watercolour of Trinity Bridge was used on a menu for the P&O liner RMS Strathmore. The artist was F. W. Baldwin. A copy can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum under reference number E.346-2005.[4]

Dry Bridge in Zrenjanin, Serbia, is another example of a bridge no longer crossing water, but it is far larger.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Historic England. "Trinity Bridge (352293)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 17 January 2011.
2. ^ Quoted in: Wheeler, William Henry (1896). A History of the Fens of South Lincolnshire (2nd ed.). Boston, London: J.M. Newcombe and Simpkin, Marshall & Co. p. 313\. doi:10.1680/ahotfosl2e.50358.
3. ^ "Trinity Bridge Orphaned Bridge of Crowland". Amusing Planet. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
4. ^ Baldwin, F.W. "Crowland Bridge". Victoria And Albert Museum. Retrieved 2 June 2023.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Trinity Bridge (Crowland) (category)

* Tourism article on Crowland
* Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1064508)". National Heritage List for England.
* Report on the repair and stabilisation of Trinity Bridge
* Trinity Bridge at Structurae

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Ceremonial county of Lincolnshire

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See also: List of civil parishes in Lincolnshire

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Historic subdivisions: Holland, Kesteven, Lindsey
History and notable places: Belton House, Bolingbroke Castle, Boston Stump, Cadwell Park, Cross Keys Bridge, Crowland Abbey, Donna Nook, Dunham Bridge, Far Ings, Frampton Marsh, Freiston Shore, Gibraltar Point, Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre, Humber Bridge, Kinema in the Woods, Kingdom of Lindsey, Lincoln Castle,Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Cliff, Lincolnshire Fens, Market Rasen Racecourse, Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Tattershall Castle, The Wash, The Wolds, Usher Gallery, Winceby Battlefield, Woolsthorpe Manor

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