Listed Building record MDR9875 - Poyser's Bridge, Cromford Canal, Chase Road, Ripley

Poyser's Bridge, Cromford Canal, Chase Road, Ripley, built in 1792. Simple bridge of local roughly dressed gritstone. String course follows the line of the deck. Stilted arch. The deck widens at the abutments, parapets curve and splay and finish in square piers. Flush round-topped copings. Built 1792/4 with the canal. A standard Cromford Canal bridge, presumably designed by the engineers of the canal, Jessop and Outram. It is of a style typical of small canal bridges of the period and probably developed from the earlier bridges over the Trent and Mersey, designed by Brindley. Now takes a cul-de-sac access road to a row of houses built above the canal as well as to the original farm (in 1811 in Israel Poyser's ownership) immediately north of the bridge. A towpath passes under the bridge on the south bank and there is a new water level gauge installed under the bridge. The stonework is mostly well pointed. There are grooves in the stone from tow-rope on the towpath side, east and west arches. There is a possible mason's mark under the bridge in a 'W'. There are stop plank grooves in the narrows to the west side of the bridge. (1) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 35 SW RIPLEY CHASE ROAD, Ambergate 2/67 Canal bridge south west of Crich Chase Farmhouse II Canal bridge. 1792, built by William Jessop and Benjamin Outram. Coursed squared stone. Single stilted semi-circular arch with plain band over and parapets with chamfered copings. Walls curve outwards to each end and finish in square piers. Built as part of the Cromford Canal. Source: F Nixon 'Industrial Archaeology of Derbyshire' 1969. Listing NGR: SK3480951971.' (2)