Water Orton Bridge
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1075812
- Date first listed:
- 18-Oct-1949
- List Entry Name:
- Water Orton Bridge
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-10-10
- Reference:
- IOE01/01314/04
- Rights:
- © Mr J Martin. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1075812
- Date first listed:
- 18-Oct-1949
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 12-Mar-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Water Orton Bridge
- Location Description:
- Water Orton Lane and Minworth Road
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Warwickshire
- District:
- Birmingham (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Sutton Coldfield
- District:
- North Warwickshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Water Orton
- National Grid Reference:
- SP1740791422
Summary
Road bridge, built in around 1520 on the site of an earlier bridge, commissioned by Bishop John Vesey of Exeter, with later repairs.
Reasons for Designation
Water Orton Bridge, built in 1520, is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as an early-C16 bridge which, despite later modifications, retains a significant proportion of early fabric;
* as a well-constructed multi-arch bridge which displays a good use of ashlar sandstone.
Historic interest:
* for its association with John Vesey, Bishop of Exeter who commissioned the bridge and whose involvement in its construction is commemorated on his tomb in the nearby Church of Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield (Grade I).
History
An earlier bridge is documented in this location from at least 1459 when Bishop Reynold Bowlers issued an indulgence to those who would contribute to its repair. This structure was replaced by the existing bridge in around 1520. It was commissioned by Bishop John Vesey of Exeter (1452-1555) and it is mentioned on his tomb in Holy Trinity Church, Sutton Coldfield (Grade I). It has been suggested that some bridge masonry was reused from a large demolished house in Sutton Coldfield. The bridge’s parapets were largely rebuilt in the C19, and have been subject to further repairs in the C20 and C21. Other repairs and consolidation have been made to the bridge at various times, including to the points of the cutwaters. At an unknown date, two carved stones, one of which was a corbel supported by an angel, were removed from the bridge and understood to be placed in the Church of St Nicholas and St Peter ad Vincula, Curdworth, North Warwickshire.
Details
Road bridge, built in around 1520 on the site of an earlier bridge, commissioned by Bishop John Vesey of Exeter, with later repairs.
MATERIAL: constructed of ashlar sandstone.
DESCRIPTION: the bridge spans the River Tame and consists of six semi-circular arches, each 5m wide and finished with stone voussoirs. Between the arches are 2m-wide piers with V-shaped cutwaters on either side which span the full height of the bridge, up to parapet level. The coped parapets are plain. There are stone drainage spouts above the two central arches.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 216631
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Salzman, LF (ed), The Victoria History of the County of Warwickshire: Volume IV, (1947), 262
Pevsner, N, Pickford, C, The Buildings of England: Warwickshire , (2016), 466
Websites
Water Orton Birdge Pastscape entry, accessed 17 January 2019 from https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=332032
Our Warwickshire: Water Orton Bridge, accessed 17 January 2019 from https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/catalogue_her/water-orton-bridge
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 28-Jun-2026 at 06:08:52.
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.