The drawing appears to be an unfinished, early design dated 29 January 1785 kept as a record drawing and the verso used to make a copy of Soane's letter to the Corporation of Norwich, dated 7 February 1785. Soane must have hoped that his Blackfriars Bridge in Norwich (q.v.) opened in 1784, would secure him a further commisssion but James Frost's design for a brick and timber bridge was chosen instead. Soane's drawing for Hellesdon Bridge, dated February 1785 is in the Norwich City Records Office as is a plan and estimate from James Frost junior for rebuilding Hellesdon Bridge in 1818 (Bridges: bundle V, items 67 and 71 respectively).

There is a Soane Museum drawing with a plan and 3 sections of a bridge (SM 79/1/7) that shows an elliptical arch as do the bridges at Norwich, 1783 and at Hellesdon, 1785 (q.q.v.). This unidentified bridge is 56 feet wide while Blackfriars Bridge, Norwich has a span of 42 feet and Hellesdon, 36 feet.

Jill Lever, December 2008