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Edinburgh, Roseburn Terrace, Old Colt Bridge

Road Bridge (18th Century)

Site Name Edinburgh, Roseburn Terrace, Old Colt Bridge

Classification Road Bridge (18th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Coltbridge Avenue; Roseburn Old Bridge Over Water Of Leith

Canmore ID 120806

Site Number NT27SW 752

NGR NT 22931 73244

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/120806

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County Midlothian

Activities

Photographic Survey (1 March 2009 - 16 September 2009)

Advance works for the Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme included a photographic survey of various buildings along the Water of Leith, to record their baseline condition, and a watching brief during the relocation of services on Warriston Road, Edinburgh. Buildings photographed included : Bridges; Weirs; the view of the Longstone Inn; the view of the 19th century mining village at Longstone; the view of the colonies at Stockbridge; the Coltbridge mill lade where it survives between the Edinburgh Sports Club and the Dean Gallery. The watching brief (http://canmore.org.uk/event/999897) uncovered a cobbled surface which overlay a concrete raft. Disturbance from a network of underground services between the current ground surface and the limit of excavation rendered the preservation of in situ archaeological remains as highly unlikely. Further evidence of ground disturbance / make up was the mixed sequence of made-ground or service trench backfill which formed the bulk of the recorded deposits during the watching brief. All the above activity is interpreted as 19th to 20th century evidence of infrastructure improvements.

Information from Michael Stuart (CFA Archaeology Ltd) June 2009. OASIS ID - cfaarcha1-135247

External Reference (17 April 2014)

Roseburn Old Colt Bridge (pedestrian)

Category B Listed Building 14.Dec.1970

A plain single stone arch set at right-angles across the stream, span 50 feet (15.2 metres), roadway width 20 feet (6.1 metres). Stonework random-rubble, with dressed voussoirs. Remains generally unaltered excepting parapet railings and roadway modern surfacing; with large-bore services pipe outwith downstream face.

Designed and constructed in 1766 by Alexander Stevens senior (1730-1796) of Prestonhall Midlothian, for Corstorphine District, Edinburghshire [Midlothian] Road Trustees at cost £232. The turnpike trust was financed by loans secured upon the income from road tolls.

Alexander Stevens' bridge replaced a previous bridge at this ancient crossing-place on the main route to the West, bridges here being also convenient for the nearby Coltbridge Mills and from 1735 Murrayfield House. During construction the weir immediately downstream was breached to lower the water-level during foundations work, with the tenants of the two mills receiving £5 each in compensation for stoppage.

Old Colt Bridge is now pedestrian traffic only, bypassed by the nearby oblique road bridge constructed in 1841 to straighten the road alignment and widened 1930.

Alexander Stevens senior farmed at Prestonhall, but as a stonemason and architect progressed to many technically advanced bridges noted for his ornate embellishments.

Old Colt Bridge was Stevens' second bridge - on the Water of Leith he also constructed the Canonmills Bridge (1767, demolished 1840), Stenhouse Mill bridge (1785 design-only, demolished 1927), and Stock Bridge (1786, still standing but widened 1901).

His most famous bridges still standing include -

1773 Hyndford Bridge (River Clyde) Lanark,

1780 Drygrange Old Bridge (River Tweed) beside the railway viaduct near Melrose,

1784 Ancrum Bridge (River Teviot),

1787 Bridge of Dun (River South Esk) Montrose,

1788 design-only Kelso Bridge (River Teviot),

1791 design-only Sarah's Bridge, re-named Island Bridge (River Liffey) Dublin. -

His impressive 1789 New Bridge of Ayr was demolished in 1878 - Robert Burns' poem 'The Brigs of Ayr' features acrimonious exchanges between the water-sprites of the Auld Brig and Steven's New Brig, however Burns

incorrectly attributes the New Brig to Adams.

Alexander Stevens senior died in 1796 while constructing the massive Lune Aqueduct for John Rennie's Lancaster Canal. The Aqueduct was completed by his son Alexander Stevens junior, also a bridge-builder and architect.

Information from J Riddell, 17 April 2014

References

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