A restrained numbered arch continues the Union Canal’s engineered rhythm beyond Winchburgh’s central road bridge.
Quick facts
- Date
- Circa 1820
- Architect / designer
- Hugh Baird, engineer
- Type
- Coursed-stone segmental canal bridge with slab-coped parapets
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB7425)
- OS grid reference
- NT 08680 75612
Architecture and continuing use
Bridge 33 is formed by a segmental arch of coursed stone. Slab copings finish the parapets, and numbered keystones identify the crossing. Its similarity to adjacent bridges is deliberate: repetition made construction and maintenance practical while allowing individual roads and tracks to cross a level canal alignment.
Its story
Hugh Baird designed the bridge around 1820 during the four-year construction of the Union Canal. The canal opened in 1822 and later shaped Winchburgh’s industrial growth. Bridge 33 was listed in 1980. The restored canal now functions principally for leisure navigation and walking, while development continues in the surrounding settlement.
Why it is included
It shows how standardised engineering created a coherent regional route while responding to local tracks at repeated intervals.
What to notice
- The bridge number on the keystone.
- Slab copings following the parapet curve.
- Consistent masonry shared with Bridges 31 and 32.
Reading the surroundings
Approach only by signed public routes. Do not climb the masonry, block a track or leave the towpath where construction or land-management signs restrict access.
Timeline
- Circa 1820 Bridge 33 was constructed for a local crossing over the new contour canal.
- 1822 Canal traffic began passing beneath the completed arch.
- 1980 The bridge received Category C listing as part of the surviving engineered corridor.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The official sources do not specify the historic road served by the bridge or guarantee current public use of each approach.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Union Canal Bridge 33, LB7425 — Current designation status, statutory identity, official mapped point, date, fabric and significance.
- Scottish Canals: Union Canal history and heritage — Current canal-authority history of the contour canal’s approval, construction, opening, decline and restoration.
- Trove: Union Canal Bridge 33 — National heritage inventory entry for designation identity, mapped location, related records and available archive material.
- West Lothian Council: listed buildings register, 2022 — Council register corroborating the identities and mapped coordinates of Winchburgh’s listed canal bridges.
Location
OS grid reference NT 08680 75612 · Location confidence: High for the current HES designation point; public text separately qualifies access, component identity and current use. · 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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