Eamont Bridge (structure)

Eamont Bridge
The bridge in August 2013
Coordinates	54°39′05″N 2°44′31″W / 54.651520°N 2.742000°WCoordinates: 54°39′05″N 2°44′31″W / 54.651520°N 2.742000°W
Carries	A6 road
Crosses	River Eamont
Locale	Penrith, Cumbria, England
Heritage status	Grade I listed
Characteristics
Material	Grey sandstone Red sandstone (alterations)
Number of spans	3
History
Construction begin	15th century
Closed	December 2015

Eamont Bridge is a road bridge over the River Eamont, at the village of the same name, immediately to the south of Penrith, Cumbria, England. It is both grade I listed and a scheduled monument.

The narrow bridge lies on the A6 road and before the opening of the M6 motorway was a notorious bottleneck. It is still controlled by traffic lights.

The bridge crosses the old county boundary between Cumberland and Westmorland and is one of the oldest bridges in the country still in daily use. It probably dates from the 15th century but was widened in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a slightly humpbacked three arched bridge made of grey sandstone with alterations in red sandstone. The solid parapets include pedestrian refuges above the pillars. Like the village, the bridge stands partly in Yanwath and Eamont Bridge parish and partly in Penrith.^[1]

In December 2015, the bridge was declared unsafe and closed to traffic, following severe flooding^[2] caused by 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season#Storm Frank. The bridge sustained significant damage, with a 1m hole reported in a supporting pillar.^[3]

References

1. Historic England. "Eamont Bridge (1145301)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
2. Fallowfield, Carl (21 December 2015). "Council Leader concerned for Eamont Bridge and neighbouring communities". Cumbria Crack. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
3. ITV News (19 January 2016). "One metre hole in Eamont Bridge". Retrieved 25 January 2016.