Three broad, shallow stone arches carry Bridge Street across the river on the line of an earlier Telford crossing.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built 1875–1877
- Architect / designer
- Murdoch Paterson, engineer
- Type
- Three-arch dressed-stone road bridge with rounded cutwaters and parapets
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB42297)
- OS grid reference
- ND 36234 50882
Architecture and continuing use
Dressed-stone arches spring from piers with rounded cutwaters. A string course and coped parapets unify the wide carriageway, giving a deliberately restrained civic character.
Its story
Murdoch Paterson designed the present bridge in 1875–1877. It replaced Thomas Telford’s 1805–1807 bridge while retaining a similarly calm, shallow-arched composition.
Why it is included
The bridge is both infrastructure and townscape: it links Wick’s historic centre with the station side of the river and records successive phases of engineering.
What to notice
- Three wide and shallow arches.
- Rounded cutwaters aligned with the river flow.
- Long horizontal parapets framing views along the Wick.
Reading the surroundings
Use pavements and formal crossings and remain alert to traffic. River levels, works and temporary diversions can affect the best viewing positions.
Timeline
- Built 1875–1877 Murdoch Paterson designed the present bridge in 1875–1877. It replaced Thomas Telford’s 1805–1807 bridge while retaining a similarly calm, shallow-arched composition.
- Present Public road and pedestrian crossing over the River Wick.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The council source confirms current Bridge Street works and public circulation rather than giving a structural condition assessment of the bridge.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Bridge Street Bridge over the River Wick, LB42297 — Designation status, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Highland Council: Wick town-centre streetscape — Current public-use context and phased reopening of Bridge Street in 2026.
Location
OS grid reference ND 36234 50882 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present 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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