foot bridge

Single-arch bridge, built c. 1860, carrying pathway to former kitchen gardens over pathway to river. Round-headed arch with rubble calp limestone voussoirs. Rubble stone to spandrel walls, low parapet walls, and to soffit. Groin-vaulted interior having shallow recesses to east and west of passageway.

This modest bridge forms part of a group of structures constructed at the behest of Benjamin Lee Guinness, as part of his landscaping works on St. Ann’s estate. This bridge carried the path from the house to the kitchen garden, as well as providing an interesting feature on the path leading to the walk along the Naniken river, itself punctuated by several notable and diverting follies. A rustic feature, its marine worm-eroded calp limestone is similar to that used in several other arches and follies in the estate, creating a sense of unity throughout. This bridge is representative of the nineteenth-century penchant for creating a sense of romance through the construction of sham ruins and follies as part of demesne landscapes. Guinness, along with his brother Arthur, purchased Thornhill Estate in 1835, renaming it St. Ann’s after an ancient holy well nearby. Benjamin later bought Arthur’s share and considerably expanded the estate through several land acquisitions over the following decades. The collection of structures at St. Ann’s makes an important contribution to the built heritage of the area.