Rare bridge over Basingstoke Canal gets Grade II heritage listing

THE NATIONAL Heritage List for England has awarded a grade II listing for a bridge over the Basingstoke Canal.

Grade II means it is of 'special interest', Janet Friend reports.

Portable Bridge

This is a rare First World War portable bridge over the canal near Aldershot. The unassuming portable bridge is one of the relatively few military structures in England that date from the First World War.

Constructed of lightweight steel, it was very quick and easy to construct with little training and could be reused in different locations.

It is known as the Inglis Pyramid Bridge and is one of the relatively few military structures in England that date from the First World War, designed by Charles Inglis (pronounced Ingalls).

Easy to construct

Made of lightweight steel, it was quick and easy to construct with little training and could be reused. The military used the design effectively during the First World War, especially in France, and it was hugely influential in developing future military bridges.

Only 10 Inglis Pyramid Bridges were known to have been manufactured during the 1914 to 1918 conflict and this one is likely to be the only example still in use as a bridge in England.