Clapper bridge
Bridge formed by large flat slabs of stone
title: "Clapper bridge" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dartmoor", "exmoor", "beam-bridges", "footbridges"] description: "Bridge formed by large flat slabs of stone" topic_path: "general/dartmoor" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapper_bridge" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Bridge formed by large flat slabs of stone ::
|type_name = Clapper Bridge |image = Tarr Steps 01.jpg |image_title = Tarr Steps, Exmoor, Somerset, England |sibling_names = Log bridge |descendent_names = Arch bridge, trestle bridge |ancestor_names = Step-stone bridge |carries = footpaths, tracks, roadways |span_range = Short |material = Stone |movable = No |design = Low |falsework = No |}} A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of the English West Country (Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and in northern Wester Ross and north-west Sutherland in Scotland. It is formed by large flat slabs of stone, often granite or schist. These can be supported on stone piers across rivers, or rest on the banks of streams.
History
Although often credited with prehistoric origin, most were erected in medieval times, and some in later centuries.{{Cite book |url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/au-arch.pdf |title=A Guide to the Archaeology of Dartmoor |publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority |year=2003 |isbn=1-84114-226-3 |ref= |page=27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006185810/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/au-arch.pdf |archive-date=6 October 2008 |df=dmy-all
Examples
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Postbridge_Clapper_Bridge_2005-07-21.jpg" caption="The clapper bridge at Postbridge"] ::
A fine example, the Postbridge Clapper Bridge, can be found at Postbridge, on Dartmoor. Its slabs are over 4 m long, 2 m wide and weigh over 8 MT each, making the bridge passable to a small cart. It was first recorded in 1380 and was built to facilitate the transportation of Dartmoor tin by pack horses to the stannary town of Tavistock.
Other surviving examples include the Tarr Steps over the River Barle in Exmoor, and Stara Bridge over the River Lynher in east Cornwall.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Wycoller_clapper_bridge.jpg" caption="Clapper bridge at Wycoller, Pendle, East Lancashire"] ::
Some larger clapper bridges, such as at Dartmeet and Bellever, have collapsed – their slabs swept away by floods, or raided for building or wall construction - and have since been rebuilt. However, there are many other smaller examples in existence on Dartmoor and still in use, such as those at Teignhead Farm (close to Grey Wethers stone circles), Scorhill and across the Wallabrook stream.
While the term "clapper bridge" is typically associated with the United Kingdom, other "clapper-style" bridges exist throughout the world. One example is the Anping Bridge in China, being over two kilometres long and one in Louisburgh, County Mayo in Ireland.
Notes
References
References
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::