St Miles Bridge

St Miles Bridge, also known as Coslany Bridge, is a grade II listed cast iron bridge with stone abutments over the River Wensum in Norwich, England, carrying Coslany Street. It is the earliest iron bridge in Norwich, and is thought to be the oldest bridge of its type in East Anglia.

History

The bridge was designed by James Frost, if St Faith's Lane, in 1804 at a cost of £1,100. It was some of Frost's early work. In the Norwich Mercury, the novel principles of the bridge's construction were praised. It carried the traffic of the adjacent brewery, which is now defunct, as well as traders on Coslany Street.
In 1912, the bridge survived a large flood in Norwich which reached the bridge's parapets. It was later restored, and paved in brick. Since, the area has largely become residential, with the bridge's use being restricted to pedestrians and cyclists.

Architecture

The bridge made up of a single cast iron span of, supported by four cast iron ribs that split up 5 bolted sections with solid spandrels. It has simple parapet rails and panelled sides, with stone abutments. The centre panel on the outer face of both parapets features the city arms on embossed plaques, with the date 1804 cast marked at the centre of the arch. The west parapet has a projecting spout for hoses.