Two phases of masonry bridge share one roadway, preserving the former trunk route over the Water of Luce.
Quick facts
- Date
- Late 18th century; widened circa 1839
- Architect / designer
- Engineer and mason unrecorded
- Type
- Multi-span masonry road bridge
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB16784)
- OS grid reference
- NX 19145 57353
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
An older two-arch whinstone bridge with triangular cutwaters is joined to a broad single segmental arch. Dressed arch rings, rubble spandrels and reconstructed parapets make the widening legible without disguising the earlier crossing.
Its story
The original bridge probably dates from the later eighteenth century and was enlarged when road traffic increased. It later carried the A75 before the bypass transferred through traffic to a new crossing.
Why it is included
The Category B bridge shows how an important regional road was enlarged rather than replaced, and it remains closely associated with the neighbouring railway viaduct.
What to notice
- One semicircular and one segmental arch in the older portion.
- Triangular cutwaters around the central pier.
- The join between the two-arch bridge and the broader added span.
Reading the surroundings
Use the current lawful road, pedestrian or cycle arrangements and take care around traffic, parapets and riverbanks. Do not descend onto private ground or the water edge.
Timeline
- Late 18th century A two-span stone bridge established a durable crossing of the Water of Luce.
- 1839 A contemporary parish account recorded an additional twenty-two feet of width under construction.
- 1973 The Glenluce bypass diverted A75 through traffic to a newer bridge.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Earlier observers suggested a possible sixteenth-century origin, but the listed-building record adopts a late-eighteenth-century date.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Bridge of Park, LB16784 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove: Bridge of Park — National record of the structure, its debated dating, former A75 role and relationship to the railway viaduct.
Location
OS grid reference NX 19145 57353 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; the independent source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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