THE DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT BRIDGES.
[TO TUE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—The two letters which appeared in the Spectator of September 6th call for some reply from this Society. I shall be greatly indebted to you if I may be allowed to say that this Society has been much distressed by the peril in which the recent formation of local governing bodies has placed the innumerable beautiful bridges which span our rivers and streams. With regard to Exe Bridge, an exceptionally fine piece of work, the Society pointed out to the Exeter City Council how wanton was its proposed destruction, and showed that all the modern requirements could be met by the alteration of levels beyond the bridge, at a comparatively small cost, and that extra waterway could also be given without destroying the bridge. With regard to the contention of " W. F. P." that the Society does not look after these ancient bridges, I may say that the names of twelve bridges are mentioned in our Reports since 1896, and two more have been before the Society since the last Report was issued. Of these a fair number have been pre- served from disfigurement or destruction by the Society's action. Both engineers and architects naturally prefer designing new structures, in which their [own skill can be exemplified, to the more difficult task of preserving existing structures. If they were instructed to prepare a scheme for the preservation of the existing structure and adapting it to existing necessary requirements, and no hope were held out
that they might put a new structure in its place, in moat cases they would find a way out of the difficulty.—I am, Sir, &c.,
THA.CRERAT TURNER, Secretary,
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 10 Buckingham Street, Adelphi, W.C.
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