The old Cressage Bridge over the River Severn, as seen in a postcard franked on September 12, 1905. The wooden toll bridge was built around 1800. It was demolished in 1912 and replaced by a ferro-concrete bridge. The postcard message was: "Dear Nellie, This is a view of Cressage Bridge over the Severn; we have to pay to go over it. We were expecting Jack on Saturday. Ernest had another fit at the Abbey on Friday; they came down to fetch us about 4.30. It is just ten months since he had one before, Nov. 3rd. Sarah." It was addressed to Miss Wilkinson, Tan House, Sarnau, Llanymynech, and has an Ironbridge franking mark.placeholder image
The old Cressage Bridge over the River Severn, as seen in a postcard franked on September 12, 1905. The wooden toll bridge was built around 1800. It was demolished in 1912 and replaced by a ferro-concrete bridge. The postcard message was: "Dear Nellie, This is a view of Cressage Bridge over the Severn; we have to pay to go over it. We were expecting Jack on Saturday. Ernest had another fit at the Abbey on Friday; they came down to fetch us about 4.30. It is just ten months since he had one before, Nov. 3rd. Sarah." It was addressed to Miss Wilkinson, Tan House, Sarnau, Llanymynech, and has an Ironbridge franking mark. | Diana Humphreys

In pictures: Shropshire's bridges which fell victim to the march of progress

By Toby Neal
Published 15th Nov 2026, 02:06 GMT

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Old Shropshire bridges which bowed out under the stresses and strains of modern life

With a major river running through Shropshire, it’s natural that the county should have some magnificent bridges.

The gem among them all is the world’s first Iron Bridge, still standing proud and counting down to its 250th anniversary in 2029. But bridges also have a shelf life, or suffer misfortune, or fail to keep pace with the times, and a number of attractive bridges have come and gone.

We’ve dipped into our archives to have a look at a few of those disappeared structures which gave good service to Salopians down the centuries but were overtaken by the march of progress.

  • You can enjoy this and more with our weekly FREE Nostalgia Newsletter - with scores of archive pictures and exclusive features on the history of Shropshire and Mid Wales - all sent to your inbox every week. Sign up here
  • For anyone curious about where their own family story leads, MyHeritage DNA kits are currently £19.90, excluding shipping. The test can help explore genetic origins and identify DNA matches who may share branches of your family tree. This is an affiliate link. We may earn a small commission on items purchased, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Burway Bridge at Ludlow was one of those functional bridges which wouldn't win any beauty contests, but wins a place in our selection because of the manner of its end. You can see the wrecked structure, one of the main routes into the town, in this picture, which is one of a sequence by Star reader Robert Frost capturing the collapse of an adjoining house at Corve Street during the floods of June 2007. This picture shows the property splitting open and beginning its fall. Another in the sequence shows it splashing into the water. The house, 57a Corve Street, was the home of Sol and Doreen Pearce. It collapsed in the morning of Wednesday, June 27, and fell into the River Corve. Burway Bridge had been swept away by the flooded river the previous day. A new Burway Bridge was officially opened by Sol and Doreen on January 19, 2009.

13. Start of the collapse

Burway Bridge at Ludlow was one of those functional bridges which wouldn't win any beauty contests, but wins a place in our selection because of the manner of its end. You can see the wrecked structure, one of the main routes into the town, in this picture, which is one of a sequence by Star reader Robert Frost capturing the collapse of an adjoining house at Corve Street during the floods of June 2007. This picture shows the property splitting open and beginning its fall. Another in the sequence shows it splashing into the water. The house, 57a Corve Street, was the home of Sol and Doreen Pearce. It collapsed in the morning of Wednesday, June 27, and fell into the River Corve. Burway Bridge had been swept away by the flooded river the previous day. A new Burway Bridge was officially opened by Sol and Doreen on January 19, 2009. | Robert Frost

Photo Sales
Previous
4 / 4
Next Page
Related topics:HistoryShropshire
Local news you can trust
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice