Preston was the third of the test series done by TRL in the 1980s. It has a lot to tell us.

Another causeway, this time across the Culm flood plain. Including some remarkably flat mediaeval arches.

Causeways across flood plains are an ancient thing. Around Exeter we have two that I have never looked at closely so here goes.

Another bridge scheduled for infilling. This one is rather pretty and treasured by the neighbours.

A Brunel flying arch in Devizes which Highways agency, Highways England, National Highways want to infill.

This little bridge in Paisley has three spans providing two footways and what is now a rather narrow road. It is skewed at 60 degrees and may have been designed by Joseph Locke.

This little bridge is almost a tunnel. It cuts diagonally through a railway embankment. The skew ends are giving trouble and it has broken its back.

Cannington viaduct is mass concrete. with precast voussoirs. It stands high behind the cliffs west of Lyme Regis and served a light railway link from Axminster.

The bridge at Merry Harriers (a pub, of course) was washed out in a flood in 2013. I took these photos, which give a lovely insight into construction, on a brief site visit.

This simple late railway bridge has a serious lesson for engineers.

A sad bridge, long neglected and recently rescued from collapse, at Stow on the A7.

This little bridge at Airdrie was in a sorry state. It could be saved but it would be hard and expensive.

Stanway viaduct has a chequered history, having fallen down in a major way during construction. It seems to be fine now!

Celebrating 10 years of BoM but also the end of 2020. A look at new equipment that may change bridge inspection dramatically.

After 25 years in Exeter, I get to examine Cowley bridge from close up. There is plenty to see.

A brief holiday walking and cycling in West Somerset turned up a group of beautiful little bridges. So not one bridge but several this month.

This viaduct on the outskirts of Newquay has a chequered history. The original was a typical Brunel timber fan truss on stone piers, with a slightly longer span over the road. When the timber needed replacing the piers were widened and built up to level and topped with a metal girder. Finally, in the early 1900 the girders gave out and a stone arch structure was built. Probably through and around the working viaduct.

This month I am stepping aside from individual bridge studies to look at a few details of how they were built. There will be much more of this over the coming year or two but possibly not displacing bridges!

The bridge at Bowland has a surprisingly long flat span for random rubble. Few would expect it also to have hollow spandrels.

The tallest pier in this viaduct had been declared to be moving too much and in need of a new foundation. A friend had been asked to do the design but called me to look first. We were able to show that the movement was normal.