Harrison's bridge was a replacement for the first bridge over the River Lune at Lancaster, a wooden bridge which dated as far back as the 13th century. This bridge had been rebuilt and repaired on numerous occasions, and in the 18th century was part-demolished to prevent Scottish rebels from crossing the river.
Harrison's new bridge was built for £14,000, and consisted of five elliptical stone arches, later extended with a further span across a railway at its southern end. It was notable for its level highway. Although it predates Rennie's Lune Aqueduct by nearly a decade, it is by far the more elegant of the two bridges.
The bridge is Listed Grade II*, and I particulary enjoy the Listing description:
"5 gracefully shallow semi-elliptical arches with archbands, and above the semicircular cutwaters between them are aediculed niches with mutuled pediments and engaged Tuscan columns. The whole is crossed by a cornice with mutules, and a balustraded parapet in which plain panels alternate with groups of 6 balusters."
Further information:
- Google maps / Bing maps
- Wikipedia
- Engineering Timelines
- British Listed Buildings
- The Bridges of Lancashire and Yorkshire
(Slack, 1986)
- Civil Engineering Heritage: Northern England
(Rennison, 1996)
- An Encyclopaedia of Britain's Bridges (McFetrich, 2010)
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