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Stanton Bridge |
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Stanton St Bernard, Wiltshire KAC46.40 |
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KandAC mile 46
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Canal bridges are little more than bumps in the road.
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Stanton Bridge carries a side road from Stanton St Bernard village to
Mill farm and Stanton Dairy, only.
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The bridge is brick built; 46 miles 40 chains from Reading.
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headroom |
10ft7ins |
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depth of water |
6ft6ins |
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There is a stop groove, a slot into which stop planks to dam the canal
can be fitted, in the bridge.
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Stanton Bridge from the westward; fitting comfortably into the
landscape.
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This is a typical, and neat example of John Rennie's bridge design for
the Kennet and Avon Canal. Horizontal courses in strong english bond
brickwork; a string course ?marking the line of the track; buttresses
marking the ends of the structure; parapet top capped with either
rounded brick or stone; the base of the arch perhaps protected from
tow lines by a stone voussoir - on which rope marks can be seen;
curved approach walls can help guide the boat into the arch, protect
the bank from erosion, and emphasise the spring of the arch. I haven't
got out my tools to measure, but the arch looks like a three centre
arch?
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Boat Rachel approaching Stanton Bridge from the east.
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In 1948 the Earl of Lucan made a trip along the Kennet and Avon Canal
in a 70ft narrow boat, Hesperus, his crew including George Day, who
wrote:-
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... Stanton St Bernard soon was passed, / The weed and mud soon held
us fast, / For thirteen hours on tackle heaved / Twas nine pm before
we're freed ...
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Kennet and Avon Scrapbook 2000
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