Monument record MDR15004 - Union Road Bridge, New Mills

About 10,000 tons of stone, almost all of it quarried from the nearby gorge, were used in its construction and the total cost was £4400. The bridge is 180 ft. long and 94 ft. from the top of the parapet to the bed of the river. The use of varying sizes of blocks is noteworthy, and after more than 100 years the stonework retains a strikingly crisp appearance. The square holes near the top of the arches were used during the construction of the bridge to hold timbers for the support of arch templates. The bridge was a major stimulus for the growth and commerce of the town, and almost immediately after its completion terraced houses and public buildings were constructed along Union Road. (1)