© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)
Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett is a nineteenth-century iron railway bridge located near Bridgwater in Somerset. The bridge is notable for its telescopic design, a mechanical innovation that allowed the structure to extend and retract to permit river traffic to pass whilst maintaining railway connectivity across the waterway. Built to serve the expanding rail network of the period, the bridge represents an important example of Victorian engineering adaptation to the demands of maintaining both transport routes in an industrial landscape. The structure remains a significant record of nineteenth-century railway infrastructure and the technical solutions developed to resolve conflicts between rail and water-borne commerce.
Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett, 270m south east of Bridgwater Dock lock is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020624. View the official record →
Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett is a nineteenth-century iron railway bridge located near Bridgwater in Somerset. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1020624.
Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett, 270m south east of Bridgwater Dock lock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1020624.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Chandos Glass Cone, at the junction of Northgate and Valetta Place (0.2 km), Brick and tile kiln west of East Quay, 200m east of Bridgwater Dock lock (0.2 km), Churchyard cross in St Mary the Virgin's churchyard (4.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett, 270m south east of Bridgwater Dock lock'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.
Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett, 270m south east of Bridgwater Dock lock stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.