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What is a Clapper Bridge?

Mary McMahon
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Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 24,701
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A clapper bridge is a primitive form of stone bridge made by laying large slabs of rock across stone piers. Classically, clapper bridges were built near fords, situating them close to established paths, and some were quite large. Most clapper bridges are found in the United Kingdom, although various clapper-style bridges can be found in other regions of the world, including areas as far-flung as China. It is possible to see some clapper bridges on walking tours of certain regions of Britain, especially Devon, where several intact clapper bridges can be viewed.

This bridge design is believed to be prehistoric in origin, although most of the surviving clapper bridges only date to the medieval period. To make a clapper bridge, construction teams had to haul and cut rocks to make piers, and then find large slabs of rock to lay across the piers. Some clapper bridges were wide enough to accommodate a cart, while others were designed for pedestrians or riders only, with carts proceeding in the ford next to the clapper bridge. Typically, niceties such as rails were lacking, and many clapper bridges were established in very shallow water, so a fall would not have been catastrophic.

The term “clapper” comes from the Anglo-Saxon cleaca, “to bridge stepping stones,” which provides some hints into the origins of the clapper bridge. This design probably evolved from the stepping stones once used by pedestrians to cross rivers, with some smart engineer realizing that the stepping stones could be turned into a bridge with the use of slabs or rock or wood.

Clapper bridges made it easier for people to get around, allowing pedestrians to cross rivers easily without having to get wet, and often permitting riders to do the same. These bridges began to fall into disuse as sturdier methods of bridge construction were developed, and undoubtedly many clapper bridges were destroyed to make room for newer bridges historically, allowing people to use the roads and routes they were familiar with to reach various locations.

Some historical preservation organizations work to preserve clapper bridges so that future generations can enjoy this piece of human history. Clapper bridges are also not uncommon in private homes and gardens, where people may enjoy the rustic look of a traditional clapper bridge in preference to more modern designs, especially in an old-fashioned garden. Modern versions of the clapper bridge may be secured with cement or mortar to make them safer.

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Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a CulturalWorld.org researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Discussion Comments
By allenJo — On Jun 27, 2011

My daughter had to build a bridge for her physics class. It was quite a feat of engineering, I must admit, even though it was a tabletop bridge model.

The wooden beams (or sticks in this case) had to be joined together to hold up a fairly heavy object for a certain period of time. They kept adding weight to the bridge until it broke, and then they calculated the strength of the bridge by dividing the weight of the object by the weight of the bridge.

She didn’t win, but she had fun building it and learned a lot about bridge design. She picked a design she found on the Internet that used a criss-crossing pattern of beams, because it was considered a stable design for bridge building.

I suppose she could have bought bridge kits instead of building from scratch, but that wouldn’t have been as much fun.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

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