Batheaston Bridge

Year: 2012
Client: Alliance Planning / Bath & North East Somerset Council

Howl Associates were commissioned by Bath and North East Somerset Council to prepare designs for a new footbridge across the River Avon, facilitating a link between Batheaston Village and
Bathampton, and a connection to the national cycle network.

In conjunction with Mark Lovell Design Engineers, Nicholas Pearson Associates and Alliance Planning we developed a three span lattice truss arrangement to help reduce the overall structural height of the bridge and minimise the size of its structural members. The arched tapering arrangement of the side trusses serves to minimise the length of structure located in front of the Grade II listed wall to Batheaston Gardens. Adopting a balustrade design that uses a simple array of circular bar uprights also helps to reduce the visual impact of the bridge on the listed wall in views from the adjacent car park.

The design of the bridge and the balustrade to the approaches adopts a simple palette of contemporary materials, with the introduction of trees in this area providing a degree of screening between the bridge approach and Batheaston Gardens.