to a scale (verso) full size

Black Friars Bridge, Projection of Cornice, A. Pieces of the Cornice coming through & forming the Foot path / From B to C both in the Cornice & Ironwork to be circular as described in the larger Elevation (that is on the verso), labelled A A A C D E E F G and dimensions given (verso) labelled The bars to be 1½Inch at / bottom & at top 1¼, Wrought Iron, Part of one of the upright / Cast Iron, Wrought Iron, Bars and (feint pencil) BLACK FRIARS BRIDGE

• Sep^t 2^d 1783

Pen and grey washes on coarse buff laid paper (288 x 492)

Soane

A related drawing for the bridge is in the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A 3307.105 and see P. du Prey, Sir John Soane, 1985, in series of 'Catalogues of architectural drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum', catalogue 85). It is a copy of a lost original with sections and details that show the construction including the shuttering and a method of weighting the hollow centres of the voussoirs of the arch with six-pound blocks of iron. 'This tends to wedge them more tightly together. The joggled joints between the stones are fastened by added pressure from iron clamps'. (du Prey, op.cit, 1982, p.236). A report made for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (29 January 1931, SM green box files) describes the sound state of the bridge and comments on the over-engineered aspects of Soane's design 'betray[ing] a curious want of confidence in good portland stone masonry when applied to bridge building'.

Soane exhibited a design for 'Blackfriars Bridge, Norwich' at the Royal Academy in 1784. His Plans, elevations and sections of buildings published in 1788 (plate 43) has an 'improved' elevation which shows a more elegantly symmetrical approach than the site permitted. The bridge with its single elliptical arch was built in St George's Street over the River Wensum. Widened (1931) and without its original ironwork, the bridge, which was opened in the spring of 1784, continues in use.

For an unexecuted design for a bridge at Hellesdon near Norwich see Norwich, Norfolk: unexecuted design for a bridge, 1785

See also SM Soane Notebooks 6-10. The first entry for the bridge (7 April 1783) notes that 'General Assembly unanimously agreed to Design & Estimate &c and order the immediate execution. Gave directions to De Carle to pull down the old Bridge'.

P. du Prey, John Soane: the making of an architect, 1982, pp.12,18,232-7,244
D.Stroud, Sir John Soane, architect, 2nd ed., 1996, pp.119,241

Drawing

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk