| Abstract: |
In August 2016 Archaeology South-East (a division of the Centre for Applied Archaeology, UCL) carried out a programme of historic building recording (Historic England Level 2) at Eatons Farm, Footbridge, Ashurst, West Sussex. The work was commissioned by West Sussex County Council. The site is located c.2.2km west of Henfield and c. 1km east of the village of Ashurst, West Sussex. Other than four pile bases, no sign of the earlier bridge, as shown on the early 19th-century mapping, was seen. Should the observed features pertain to the earlier bridge, it might be presumed that the structure would have been of a similar size to the existing crossing. The existing bridge was constructed in the early 20th century in the location of an earlier 19th-century crossing. The bridge is in a dilapidated condition, yet has an indelible charm largely pertaining to its pleasant setting. The bridge's haphazard appearance is largely owed to a number of repairs and alterations of 20th- and early 21st-century date. Such alterations include replacement and repair to the bridges handrails, timber piles, and the adjacent bank. The bridge forms an important local link, being situated between footpaths connecting the towns of Ashurst and Henfield. The bridge holds interest as a part of a local circulation network through an evolving agricultural and riverine landscape, which has seen associated shifts in leisure and commercial activity through the 19th- and 20th-centuries. The bridge is also interesting in its construction, being of concrete, steel-girder and timber construction, rather than pure timber, brick, or stone. The construction of the bridge reflects the falling cost of steel and cement, and the increasing reliance on the materials as resilient, cheap, and efficient materials to work with |
