SNN108424 - Oundle South Bridge, Oundle, Northamptonshire: Historic Building Investigation

In August 2011 Cotswold Archaeology carried out an historic building investigation of Oundle South Bridge. This carries the road to Thrapston across the River Nene, just south of the town centre. Concerns have arisen over its structural integrity and the bridge is now closed to vehicular traffic. Before a repair programme is instigated, English Heritage have required an historic building investigation to inform any repair programme. It was suspected that there was a medieval core to the bridge, and that the bridge was probably of largely 18th-century date in its present form. The investigation confirmed that there was an older core in the northern three arches, that these had been widened, and that the southern four arches were a later and narrower replacement of an earlier structure. Mortar comparisons, stratigraphic analysis and stylistic observations allowed a phasing of the various parts of the bridge to be achieved. Historical evidence suggests a date of before 1312 for the oldest part of the bridge. A later medieval date for the earlier core, an early post-medieval date for the widening and an 18th-century date for the southern end rebuilding are suggested. Detailed observation of the masonry indicated much repair work of various periods, including a large amount of repointing in cementitious mortars.