Chewton Keynsham Bridge, 200m south-east of Chewton Farmhouse
Chewton Keynsham Bridge, Chewton Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2SR
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1004518
- Date first listed:
- 12-Dec-1929
- Statutory Address:
- Chewton Keynsham Bridge, Chewton Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2SR
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1004518
- Date first listed:
- 12-Dec-1929
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 03-Feb-2025
- Location Description:
- Centred on ST 65465 66437.
- Statutory Address 1:
- Chewton Keynsham Bridge, Chewton Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2SR
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Chewton Keynsham Bridge, Chewton Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2SR
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Bath and North East Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Keynsham
- District:
- Bath and North East Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Compton Dando
- National Grid Reference:
- ST6547066436
Summary
A packhorse bridge, probably of medieval or post-medieval date, with later parapets and repairs.
Reasons for Designation
Chewton Keynsham Bridge, a packhorse bridge of probable medieval or post-medieval date, with later parapets and repairs, is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
Survival:
* it retains the majority of its early fabric and has seen little alteration, with the exception of later parapets.
Rarity:
* packhorse bridges were once much more common across England and this example represents evidence for early communication and transportation routes.
History
The bridge over the River Chew carries a track, now a bridleway, running east from Chewton Keynsham which is depicted on the 1840 tithe map and is described on the tithe apportionment as a ‘Parish road’. The date of the bridge is unknown, with sources (Bath & NE Somerset Historic Environment Record) variously attributing its construction to the medieval period or the C18. A medieval or post-medieval date is more likely, since it was most probably constructed as a packhorse bridge, without a parapet, to avoid animals’ side packs hitting as they crossed the bridge. The parapets appear to have been added later, and some of the coping stones on the upstream (south) parapet have since been replaced.
Details
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS
A packhorse bridge which crosses the River Chew. It is most probably medieval or post-medieval in date and has later parapets and repairs.
DESCRIPTION
The bridge is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with dressed coping. It has a double span with pointed-segmental arches and a central, diagonally-set, buttressed cutwater with stepped masonry on either side. There are stone parapets with chamfered coping stones; those to the south, upstream side have been replaced.
EXTENT OF SCHEDULING
The area of protection includes only the bridge, including the wing walls to either end, and has been drawn to follow the footprint of the structure.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- BA 161
- Legacy System:
- RSM - OCN
Sources
Websites
Bath & NE Somerset Historic Environment Record, 61209: Medieval packhorse bridge, E of Chewton Keynsham, accessed 13 August 2024 from https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/61209
Other
Map of the Parish of Keynsham in the County of Somerset, 1841
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 08-Jun-2026 at 21:08:23.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.