Building record 7754/1/15 - Bridge No.5 on Northampton Arm of Grand Union Canal

Drawbridge. C..1815 restored C19 and C20. Timber construction with iron chains. Part of a group with a flight of 12 locks on the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal. A building record was made of Lift Bridge GN5 immediately prior to its dismantling in October 2004.

{1} Drawbridge. C..1815 restored C19 and C20. Timber construction with iron chains. Part of a group with a flight of 12 locks on the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal.

{3} A building record was made of Lift Bridge GN5 immediately prior to its dismantling in October 2004. It was built in 1815 as part of the Grand Union Canal, to enable the farmer whose land it was built on, to continue access with carts to fields otherwise cut off by the new canal. Although the Lift Bridge was renovated in 1914 and the 1960s, several of the original iron fittings are thought to have been reused in the structure.
The lift bridge is one of a group of twelve scheduled lock gates on the Grand Union Canal. The bridge was installed so that the farmer who owned the land bisected by the new canal, could continue to access the eastern part with carts. The footbridge appears to have been reconstructed in the 1960s, when it is known that renovation works took place. It is presumed that it was rebuilt in the same style as the original bridge as there is no apparent difference between the map editions. Several iron fittings which were re-used within the structure support this, although it is possible that the footbridge element was modifed to extra strength in the 1960s with the additional iron-ties, perhaps to cope with mechanical vehicles.

{5} Undated photo, also photo dated 09.12.1993;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 5/178 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F09 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Thorne A., 2005, Building Recording and Watching Brief At Rotherthorpe Lift Bridge GN5 Rothersthorpe, Northampton. October 2004, (checked) (Report). SNN105204.

<4> Thompson, A. & Chapman, P., 2010, Canal Lift Bridge GN5 at Rothersthorpe, Northampton (Article). SNN107497.

<5> Photographs of buildings in Rothersthorpe (Photographs). SNN113127.

Record last edited

Mar 16 2022 12:46PM