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Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade is a post-medieval bridge located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. The structure spans across bedrock composed of Llandovery rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Llandovery period—which provide a stable foundation in the local landscape. The bridge represents an important example of early modern engineering and aesthetics, combining functional design with ornamental architectural elements characteristic of its era.
The chain bridge exemplifies the technological innovations of post-medieval bridge construction, utilising suspension principles that were increasingly refined during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The accompanying Gothick Arcade demonstrates the period's fashion for Gothic Revival ornamentation, reflecting contemporary tastes that blended medieval aesthetics with modern materials and techniques.
The monument's position within the Welsh landscape and its construction upon the durable Llandovery bedrock have enabled its survival to the present day. As a scheduled monument under Cadw's protection, Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade remains an significant record of post-medieval engineering ambition and architectural fashion in Wales.
Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD172. View the official record →
Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade is a post-medieval bridge located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CD172.
Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a bridge. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CD172.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwm Rhydol settlement (6.5 km), Cairn S of Banc y Geufron (6.6 km), Hafod Frith Deserted Rural Settlement (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Hafod: Chain Bridge and Gothick Arcade stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.