English Bridge, Shrewsbury

“Shrewsbury... chiefly occupies a peninsula formed by the winding course of the Severn, which is crossed by two bridges, called English and Welsh bridges, on account of their respective situations”.^[1] Indeed, this layout can be best appreciated from above, where a classic “horseshoe” meander of the River Severn surrounds the original settlement. Numerous smaller bridges now cross the river, but nevertheless these two major bridges are still evident, one carrying the A458 into the City from the east, and the other taking it out of the City to the north west.

English Bridge was designed by John Gwynn, and dates from 1774, but was completely rebuilt in the 1920s using the original 1774 stone work. Welsh Bridge dates from 1795, built as a replacement for an earlier St George's Bridge.^[2]

(Information provided by Rosemary Lockie)

References
[1] Shrewsbury - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868
[2] A fun page: List of crossings of the River Severn (Wikipedia)