Thursday, March 20, 2008

Ross, the bridge

So I lied :)

The Ross Bridge is on the southern access road, although once part of the highway. It was built in 1836, at the request of Lt Gov Arthur, and is another design by architect by John Lee Archer (maybe I should add a tag for his creations?). The two men responsible for building it, as both stonemasons and overseers, were highwayman Daniel Herbert and burglarJames Colbeck. Herbert's name is still well known Colbeck though has faded into relative obscurity, and when he does get a mention, he's often called John. Both did get a pardon a few years latter though.

Bridge from south

Bridge, steps


Bridge detail


Bridge, north side


Bridge, arches



The stone isn't standing up to elements very well and many of the 186 carvings that decorate the bridge are badly worn. (The also don't photograph very well from the riverbank.) There is, or was, a project under way to create replacements from moulds, and put the originals somewhere safe.

In the photo below, look for the face in the bottom left corner.

Bridge, detail


Bridge detail


Bridge, south side

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