Clifton Hampden Bridge. Oxfordshire. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built by Richard Casey, for Lord of the Manor Henry Hucks Gibbs. c. 1864. This Grade II* listed structure has six Gothic arches and was built in "[r]ed brick with random flared headers in Flemish bond" ("Clifton Hampden Bridge"). It replaced the ford and long-established ferry service here.
This closer view allows us to appreciate the brickwork and design elements in more detail. It shows not only the headers, but also the "angled cut-waters between," the "moulded brick surrounds" of the arches, and the "[b]racketed parapet with string-course to base and moulded brick coping" (all described in Historic England's listing text).
Colin Price tells us that this "picturesque bridge" goes well with the picturesque village itself — to which Scott himself had previously contributed, because he had restored and added to the church of St Michael and All Angels, seen to the left in the top photograph, and built the manor house, originally as the parsonage (see "Parishes"). He was responsible for so much work of that kind. But it is very unusual to find him designing a bridge. There is no mention of it in his Personal and Professional Recollections.
Photographs and caption material by Colin Price formatting and additional text by Jacqueline Banerjee. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images for larger pictures.]
Sources
"Clifton Hampden Bridge." Historic England. Web. 4 March 2016.
"Parishes: Clifton Hampden." In A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 7, Dorchester and Thame Hundreds. Ed. Mary Lobel (London, 1962): 16-27. British History Online. Web. 4 March 2016.
Scott, Sir George Gilbert, R.A. Personal and Professional Recollections, edited by his son, G. Gilbert Scott, F.S.A.. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1879. Internet Archive. Web. 4 March 2016.
Created 4 March 2016.