Lovelace Bridges
The Lovelace Bridges were built by William King, 1st Earl of Lovelace (1805-1893) on his estate at East Horsley, Surrey, in the 1860s. Fifteen bridges were built to facilitate the transport of timber by horse-drawn carts. The bridges were built where the tracks crossed existing bridleways or roads. Ten bridges still exist.[1]
The bridges were constructed from local flint and brick; they all had plaques with their name and dates. Most of the bridges are horseshoe shaped "Moorish" design, between a span of six feet at Meadow Plat to eighteen feet for the Dorking Arch, which crosses Crocknorth road. The Earl had his own brickworks in West Horsley/Ockham and the lime for the mortar would have been local, possibly from chalk pits in Kiln Field Coppice. The saw mill was near Brockhole Cross, near the junction with Outdowns on the Epsom Road.
There is a Lovelace Bridges Trail produced by the Horsley Countryside Preservation Society[2] and there is a project to conserve the bridges managed by Forestry England.
Remaining bridges[edit]
| Bridge | Listed Building | Location | Grid Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Reference number | |||
| Briary Hill East Bridge | II | 1294884 | Honeysuckle Bottom, East Horsley | TQ 09956 50813 |
| Briary Hill West Bridge | II | 1029417 | Honeysuckle Bottom, East Horsley | TQ 09854 50818 |
| Dorking Arch Bridge | II | 1187984 | Crocknorth Road, East Horsley | TQ 09983 51163 |
| Hermitage Bridge | II | 1377858 | Sheepwalk Lane, East Horsley | TQ 10200 50209 |
| Meadow Plat Bridge | Effingham | TQ 107508 | ||
| Oldlands Bridge | II | 1029395 | Outdowns, Effingham (no public access) | TQ 10686 52185 |
| Raven Arch Bridge | II | 1029416 | Honeysuckle Bottom, East Horsley | TQ 09625 51058 |
| Robin Hood Bridge | II | 1294880 | Green Dene, East Horsley | TQ 09694 51332 |
| Stoney Dene Bridge | II | 1246731 | Effingham | TQ 10567 51746 |
| Troy Bridge | II | 1029426 | Sheepwalk Lane, East Horsley | TQ 09576 50226 |
Lost bridges[edit]
The following bridges no longer exist: Outdowns Bridge, Pine Grove Bridge, Horse Close Bridge, Oakhanger Bridge and Falcon Arch.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ "East Horsley, The Lovelace Bridges". Exploring Surrey's Past.
- ^ "Lovelace Bridges Trail". HCPS. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ "The Lovelace Bridges Trail" (PDF). Exploring Surrey's Past. Retrieved 10 September 2023.