Packhorse Bridges
Hinchcliffe (Ref) is the definitive source for the English packhorse bridges; he records and details some 250, largely located in the North of England. His classification comprises three categories: Group 1 are the most authentic, 6ft wide or less, built before 1800 with well-known packhorse associations. Group 2 are those that fall outside any one of these limits but are generally referred to as packhorse bridges. Group 3, he describes as ‘problematical’, and often not packhorse bridges at all. The absence or presence of parapets is only of minor interest; it could be surmised that parapets might obstruct the easy passage of pony side-paniers, and were so designed - but only a proportion of his recorded bridges are parapet-free and no doubt centuries of bad weather have also contributed to this. Most of these small narrow bridges were crudely built of random rubble with rubble arches and non-radial irregular voussoirs which rather suggests a rough date-range of 1650 to 1750. Packhorse routes are linked to well documented history of the long-distance transport of commodities.
There is very little documentation of Scottish packhorse routes which may be an opportunity for further research. However, the general road network was a little different north of the border which leads to uncertainty about the grouping itself. Before 1720, long-distance cart roads were not common which suggests, in fact, that most of our long-distance roads were pack-horse or droving in type. They were not ‘made’ roads but rather beaten-tracks, directional rights of way with customary status, leading from one village to another, or from one bridge to another. The exceptions were the old Roman roads and a few trunk roads like the post-road north from Berwick, the Deeside Way and the Causey Mounth. The links between Edinburgh, Perth and Stirling appeared to be good. Further south, in the Borders, the state of the roads was grave.The Rev. James Arkle ( Roxburgh) wrote in the 1795 OSA ' There is much intercourse [ from Roxburgh?] with both Hawick and Langholm by weekly markets, fairs etc, and the difficulty of travelling between those places is inconceivable. Every article must be carried on horseback; and through deep and broken bogs. As we have hitherto had no roads, it is not to be expected that we should have had bridges.' In the North, expectations were even lower. Burt’s Letters ( Ref) provide great detail of the perils of travel in the Highlands. .
In contrast, Barrow (Ref) provides compelling evidence of much better road surfaces in medieval times and Harrison (2) (Ref) suggests that 17th century roads, especially around Stirling, were well maintained and passable. However, we do know that in the mid-eighteenth century there was a clear distinction between a horse-road and a cart-road: wheels needed a much higher quality of road surface. When General Wade launched his Highland road-building programme in the 1730s it was partly new-build but largely upgrading from horse-road to cart-road. Surveyor’s notes on one preliminary plan refer to ’..a low flatt road and dry, may easily be made carte road’ and ‘.. one little step in the wood to be filled up with stone and lime and made smooth, It is easily made carte road.’
Human-back-transport was common and widespread: wickerwork baskets or creels (cliabh) were harnessed by carrying bands (fettles) across the chest. Horses carried large currachs on either side assisted by split-saddles and crook-saddles ; travois or slide-cars were still more common than carts: loads were carried on a pair of poles whose lower ends trailed on the ground behind the draught-animal. These were called kellachs and were sometimes enhanced by semicircular hoops at the trailing-end, or even small wheels (kellach-cairts). Fenton(Ref) tells us that even as late as 1790, in a single parish in Inverness, the minister counted 361 sledges compared with 416 wagons and carts. Non-wheeled vehicles were so prevalent that we might reasonably presume that most rural bridges were used by them to some extent. It is therefore more difficult to differentiate a packhorse grouping, as such.
This being the case, in Scotland we might refer to these narrow bridges as ‘horse bridges’ and the important defining characteristic might be a width of 6-7 ft wide, parapet to parapet. This last clarifies the grouping- and it also makes sense; such a design must have been adopted specifically for pedestrians, ponies, horses and kellachs- not for carts. The provenance may occasionally lie elsewhere altogether; for example, Carrbridge (290636 822927) is celebrated as a packhorse bridge, but was actually built to facilitate the travel of coffins on the way to the cemetery; Stow Bridge (345837 644394) was probably a ‘collection’ bridge, built to facilitate church attendance. Both of these were certainly used later by commodity packhorse trains.
The following list of very narrow width bridges may not be comprehensive. Some have been parallel-widened, but the original width defines them. Local knowledge is important. If you know of others please get in touch.
On the old maps, therefore in the Catalogue:
Alyth in Angus 324517 748719
Ardoch near Dunblane 283791 709911
Carrbridge 290636 822927
Ceres in Fife 340015 711429
Ruim in Angus 326954 749300
Inverkip near Largs 222307 672549
Mousemill., Lanark. 286943 644204
Charlie’s Bridge, Keith 341515 850953
Keith Old Brig 342762 850795
Bishops Bridge, Muthil. 287522 715369
Inner Bridge St.Andrews 345003 719777
Stow Bridge 345837 644394
Priory bridge, Blantyre 267830 658414
Mary’s Bridge, Minigaff 241327 566942
Scott’s Bridge, Invermay 305681 716236
Witch’s Bridge, nr Crieff 209388 720939
Not on any old maps, therefore not in the Catalogue:
Lintmill near Ancrum 362204 624873
Craigmill near Eaglesham 260236 650669
Glenlivet. 319699 830104
Glenlyon 269955 747196
Lathernwheel Harbour 318969 932210
Monzie near Crieff. 287852 725053
Barvick near Crieff. 286324 723443
Minnoch in Glentrool. 237329 5785930
Carron near Denny. 274223 683341
Crathies Old Brig., nr. Banchory 374308 796231
Photo from Glenlyon. Page last updated June 2024
