Thousands of drivers pass over this 500-year-old bridge every day without ever noticing it’s there. Today it’s dwarfed both by the A4232 bypass and the bridge crossing the Ely that links the Leckwith retail park with the village of the same name on the other side of the river. But that centuries-old bridge still stands strong right underneath.
The medieval Grade II* listed stone bridge, accompanied by the bridge keeper’s house, was first believed to have been built at a River Ely crossing in the early 16th century. It was at a time when Cardiff became part of the new shire of Glamorgan and its county town, and people were making their homes and establishing businesses in the area. Old pictures show villagers crossing the bridge a century or so ago, with the odd home built on what is now largely industrial land.
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There is a reference in 1536 to it as being “soundly built of stone” and while there was some rebuilding work in the 17th century, and the central arch was rebuilt during the 18th century, it has changed very little over the hundreds of years. It has three arches built of rubblestone, and the roadway is around 9ft wide, with alcoves for pedestrians to be able to move to if any traffic was passing.
Authors Jonathan and Mark Lambert, who have written a book The Pilgrim’s Guide to Medieval Glamorgan, researched the bridge for a chapter and found a reference to it in the 15000s. They say: “Antiquarian John Leland mentioned Leckwith Bridge on his journey through south Wales in 1536. Repairs were made to Leckwith Bridge during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries testifying to its importance for commerce and the local community.”
The bridge was listed as Grade II* in 1952, and was described as an example of “a fine and rare medieval bridge”. It is also designated as a scheduled monument, which means it is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, that has been given protection against unauthorised change.
The bridge is still in use today, although not by as many cars that you see on the A4232 above. It is used by goods vehicles getting to and from the builders’ yards that is on the other side of the bridge.
The concrete bridge built on a viaduct next door was opened on April 17, 1935, by the then Minister for Transport Leslie Hore-Belisha. By the 2010s the new bridge was in poor condition with weight restrictions imposed on it
According to Leckwith Village History, the area has always been “difficult to define”, but in the last century it was the area between Leckwith Hill and the edge of Cardiff. The area is now home to Cardiff City football ground, Fitzalan High School and the Leckwith Retail Park.
There used to be a manor belonging to Cardiff Castle in the area and products from its farm were sent to the castle from the mid-1400s to 1926, when it was sold off. The area was always linked with farming and in the Victorian age inhabitants were described as farmers, lime burners, dairymen and bridge keepers.
According to the Michaelston and Leckwith Council: “The prehistory of the area turns up occasionally. Near the bridge in 1928, at the old pre-barrage tidal reaches of the river Ely, a man with the unlikely name of Jockenhovel O’Connor discovered a hoard of bronze-age armaments from around 600 BC – one rib and pellet socketed axe, one socketed axe fragment, four leatherworking knives, two socketed sickles, two razors and a chariot pole cap, now in the national museum.”
It adds: “The sites of most of the old farms in Leckwith remain, White Farm and Yynyston have been developed for private housing, Brynwell, Woodlands and Bullcroft remain as single buildings while Beggan remains a fully working farm with its own Cock Hill vineyard as well as a herd of Welsh Black cattle. Other houses include the Forester’s cottages on the Gower common, built when the Forestry Commission managed much of the local woodland, and a small number of stone built Victorian houses. The ruins of an old long house remain beside the church.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
