An Early 19th Century Cast Iron Bridge at Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk: Archaeological Monitoring

On 21st and 23rd September, 1998, archaeological monitoring work was undertaken on a Grade 1 listed cast iron bridge in the grounds of Culford School, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The work involved investigation of the infill material forming the bridge roadway and monitoring of its removal with a view to discovering whether it was original, or had been subject to disturbance or repair in the past.

The infill was found to consist of alternating layers of chalk and hoggin (clayey sand mixed with gravel), laid in a distinctive fashion which appeared to be identical at either end of the bridge. No previous interventions were observed cutting through these layers, and the unity of the infilling scheme over the whole bridge strongly suggests that it is original. The style of the balustrade and ornamental details of the bridge, however, suggest that these may have been replaced to match the Italianate style of other additions to the park and gardens in the late 19th century.