Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
22852
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
15/02/2000
Date of Amendment
15/02/2000
Name of Property
Plate-Girder Bridge
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Neath Port Talbot
Community
Sandfields East
Town
Port Talbot
Locality
Sandfields East
Easting
275549
Northing
189307
Street Side
Location
Spanning the River Afan just upstream of the navigable section, and linking Sandfields with the docks. The bridge is set at an angle to the river.
Description
Broad Class
Transport
Period
History
Two-carriageway road bridge dated 1903. It was built following major development of Port Talbot docks in the late 1890s, and provided the main access to the docks from Aberavon and the W side of the river. The approach road is labelled Newbridge Road (B4286) on the Ordnance Survey of 1939. It is now pedestrianised.
Exterior
Long 3-arch plate-girder bridge with wide deck. The piers and abutments are of snecked stone, the piers continuing as cut-waters. Angled abutments with quoins and concrete copings. The parapets are divided into 3 sections, one to each arch. Each section contains 1 row of riveted wrought iron plates under a top rail which curves down at the ends. The gap between each section is infilled with narrow iron railings with fleur-de-lis finials. The parapets of the central section are slightly raised and have a narrow top rail. An oval iron plaque is mounted in the centre of the S face but is not decipherable. The flanking sections have heavy riveted top rails. Open iron handrails are mounted on the parapets. These have circular posts, top rail and mid rail and small ball finials. The abutments, which continue into the river banks, support similar railings. The ends of the bridge are marked by large square stone piers with moulded arched capstones with margin drafting. The S piers support large decorative iron vases with finials (those to N piers may be missing). A large stone tablet is mounted on the inside face of the NW pier. It reads 'This bridge was erected by the Aberavon Corporation and opened by Sir Arthur Vivian KCB / October 29 1903 / Engineer, J Roderick / Contractors, Clark & Co. / Major T A Burgess / Town clerk, M Tennant'. A further pier is located at the NE end of the E abutment. The wide 2-carriageway deck has pavements to each side.
Interior
Reason for designation
Listed as a finely detailed plate-girder bridge which is unusual at this date for carrying a strategic road rather than a railway. The association with the development of Port Talbot docks is of additional historic interest.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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