Footbridge over Coundon Burn at NZ 2193 3075

Auckland Park

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Overview

Footbridge over Coundon Burn, C18. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1292964
Date first listed:: 23-May-1994
List Entry Name:: Footbridge over Coundon Burn at NZ 2193 3075
Statutory Address:: Auckland Park

Footbridge over Coundon Burn, Bishop Auckland — Uploaded by D Moore This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
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Date:: 2002-06-11
Reference:: IOE01/06970/29
Rights:: © Mr Alan Bradley. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1292964
Date first listed:: 23-May-1994
Date of most recent amendment:: 02-Jun-2021
List Entry Name:: Footbridge over Coundon Burn at NZ 2193 3075
Statutory Address 1:: Auckland Park

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Auckland Park

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: County Durham (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: NZ2193530754

Summary

Footbridge over Coundon Burn, C18.

Reasons for Designation

This bridge, of C18 date, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* a largely intact barrel-vaulted C18 footbridge, of characteristically simple design and construction.

Historic interest:

* for its close historic association with Auckland Castle Park created for the Prince Bishops of Durham as a hunting estate.

Group value:

* it retains its historic relationship with the listed Auckland Castle and the registered Auckland Castle Park, and benefits from a spatial group value with numerous other listed buildings.

History

Auckland Castle Park originated as a deer park for the Prince Bishops of Durham, probably in the C11 or C12, associated with their residence at Auckland Castle. The park had a herd of wild cattle until the C17 and there are records of successive restocking with deer. The park fell into decline during the Interregnum at which time the trees were cut down, but it was restocked, and the fishponds renewed by Bishop Cosin during the period 1660 to 1671. In 1750 Bishop Butler extended the park to take in areas of woodland and began renewing the pale and planting, operations which were interrupted by his death in 1752. He was succeeded by Bishop Trevor, who continued with the improvements, spending more than £8,000 on the Castle and park during the period 1752 to 1771. Ewan Christian undertook a refurbishment of Castle and park during the 1880s for Bishop Lightfoot.

The earliest record of a bridge at this location is Dixon's 1772 Plan of Auckland Castle Park. The first edition Ordnance Survey map, surveyed 1857 shows it as part of a network of paths or rides criss-crossing the valley of the burn. The bridge is unnamed by that and all subsequent editions.

Details

Footbridge over Coundon Burn, C18. MATERIALS: dressed stone; side walls and vault are of squared stones laid in horizontal courses.

DESCRIPTION: a narrow single-span bridge carries a footpath or parkland ride at an oblique angle over the Coundon Burn. The structure comprises a simple pointed barrel vault about 8m long by 1.5m wide, that rises from low side walls, all capped by earth and gravel. There are no spandrels or headwalls but the gap where the north-east spandrel should be is infilled with stone corbelling to ease the exit of the path due to the angle at which it crosses the burn. There are short training walls up and downstream of the culvert and the stream bed is paved through the arch barrel. It has splayed abutments at each side.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 385612
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Roberts, M, Pevsner, N, Williams, E, The Buildings of England: County Durham, (2021), 140
Websites
The Road, Rail and Parkland Bridges of Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, 4/2021: an assessment of the historical and archaeological evidence, M Jecock 2021, accessed 22-03-2021 from https://research.historicengland.org.uk/Report.aspx?i=16814&ru=%2fResults.aspx%3fp%3d1%26n%3d10%26t%3dBishop%2bAuckland%26ns%3d1

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.