Moulton Packhorse Bridge

Moulton Packhorse Bridge

At Moulton, Suffolk, a 15th-century packhorse bridge across the River Kennett still stands. The bridge is built of flint and rubble, faced with brick, and stands on the old main route from Cambridge to Bury St Edmunds.

The bridge spans a distance of just over 20 metres (65 feet), with four pointed arches. The moniker 'packhorse bridge' may not be strictly correct, as it is wide enough to take cart traffic as well as horses.

Visiting

The bridge looks rather odd today, as the river has diminished in size over the centuries and now runs under a paved area, so the bridge appears to be a raised arch over the tarmac. When you see it from the side, however, you realise what a lot of work must have gone into creating the four-arch spans.

The advantage of having the bridge rest on pavement is that you can actually walk directly under the brick arch spans and see the construction from beneath!

The arches were built by first creating a framework of timber to outline the shape and support brick construction. Once the bricks had been laid in place the supports, or 'formers', were removed. This style of building pointed arches went out of use by the end of the 15th century.

There is no dedicated parking area, but I found it easy to park in the village and stroll to the bridge, which is signposted. I didn't see any information panels on the site, which would have been helpful to learn more about the bridge's history.