ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF BRITISH BRIDGES

Revised second edition of this seminal work with 250 new entries, some illustrated, bringing the total individual bridges described to 1,600 and information describing more than 2,200 different structures. Here are road bridges, some of which are moveable, moat, packhorse, footbridge, park or garden bridges, aqueducts, canal bridges, tramways and railway bridges and seaside piers which number over one million to cross roads and canals and motorways. Far from dull, the book is quite beautiful, spanning (excuse the pun!) history and in an A-Z format covering the developing technology behind arch bridges, inhabited bridges and lifting bridges. From the wall enclosing the ancient abbey at Bury St Edmunds which carries over the River Lark three ribbed and pointed stone arches probably dating from the 13th century, there is the beautiful Aberdulais aqueduct over the River Neath with ten low stone arches and 340 feet long at Port Talbot. Page after page as you just scroll through and enjoy the archive and modern colour photographs numbering 900 including the beautiful Baddesley Clinton Moat Bridge in Warwickshire around a National Trust property, the gatehouse fortified wall and moat guarding Bishop's Palace at Wells from around 1340, Boathouse Bridge at Longleat, the Brunel Swing Bridge in Bristol, the Clyde Caledonian Railway Viaduct and so it goes on as we amble through Great Britain at a leisurely pace and are shown historical places of interest. One of our favourites is the Lower Brockhampton Manor Gatehouse Bridge, a quaint timber-framed gatehouse from 1550 with knee-braced deck beams. The last entry in the A-Z is handsome Ystrad Suspension Bridge of the type pioneered by James Dredge. Next there is a Bridge Miscellany describing aesthetics, aluminium, ancient British bridges, bridges in art, architectural periods, depictions in commercial art and on banknotes, stamps and medals, collapses and failures of bridges, sea bridges and a whole section on record-breaking bridges with the longest cantilever arm spans or laminated timber beam bridges. Finally, a geographical index. 444 big glossy pages, 22.2 x 28.6cm.