Description

Earlier to mid 19th century. 3 segmental-arched bridge over River Calder with triangular cutwaters. Droved ashlar with ashlar buttresses, piers and parapet coping and bullfaced voussoirs. Raised parapet over central span, ramped parapet over outer arches. Flat caps to piers flanking arches. Splayed abutments with massive octagonal terminal piers.

Statement of Interest

This is a good example of a early 19th century bridge with fine detailing and a good landscape presence, spanning the River Calder at the entrance to Lochwinnoch village. The octagonal terminal piers are similar to those at the Garthland Bridge to the East of Castle Semple Loch (see separate listing) and the 2 bridges are likely to be of a similar date. The bridge forms an important structure in the wider, former Estate of Castle Semple.

A bridge is marked on this site in the John Thomson Atlas of 1832. Previous to this, a dotted line in 1800 John Ainslie Map marks a crossing over the River Calder at this site. The bridge is marked on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map, which was surveyed in 1857 as a New Bridge and the date is therefore likely to be earlier to mid 19th century.

Castle Semple Estate has a long history, originally associated with the Semple family who built the first Castle Semple and the collegiate church (scheduled monument, 2011) around 1504. In 1727, the Semples sold the estate to a sugar plantation owner, William McDowell. McDowell began a range of land improvements to the estate, which form the basis of the current estate, including building a new Castle Semple House and landscaping the grounds. The 2nd William MacDowell continued the improvements to the estate including erecting a Temple at the deer park in Kenmuir Hill (see separate listing). The Estate was sold in 1814 to a Major John Harvey who continued to improve the landscape. The family finances declined during the course of the 19th century and the estate was sold in 1908. After this, the house was converted to apartments and the land broken up into small holdings. The House was damaged by fire in 1924 and the central portion of it demolished in the 1960s. The central section of the estate is currently a Regional Park.

List description updated, 2012.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17840451

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version