Reveal.World logo
Reveal

Tarr Steps

Tarr Steps Farm, Dulverton TA22 9PY, United Kingdom

Tarr Steps — stone causeways across the River Barle in Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. They are located in a national nature reserve 4 km southeast of Withypool and 6 km northwest of Dulverton.
World: The oldest bridges still in use
photo
Jermaine

The name Tarr comes from the Celtic word tochar, meaning "raised road." The English name for the stepping stones, "clapper bridge," originates from the Latin "claperius," which means "pile of stones."

Tarr Steps are first mentioned in the Tudor era, but their creation is believed to date back to earlier times. According to one theory, Tarr Steps belong to the Bronze Age; according to another, they date to approximately 1400 AD. Tarr Steps are an example of early stone bridge construction before the invention of the arch method. The middle of the bridge was washed away by a flood during 1941–1942. In 1945, volunteers and local schoolchildren reinforced the bridge supports, assisting specialists from the Somerset Archaeological and Historical Society and the Royal Engineers. Restoration work was fully completed in 1952, but in August of the same year, the bridge was damaged again by river flooding. Further restoration was carried out in 1979. On December 22, 2012, Tarr Steps was significantly damaged during a flood when fallen trees broke the cables stretched to protect the stepping stones from floating debris. The bridge was damaged a second time during the flood on November 21, 2016. After recent floods, when the slabs were carried downstream, they were numbered. Restoration work requires adjusting the river level.

The greatest damage to the stepping stones has been caused by floating debris accumulating at the base.

According to local legend, the devil built the stepping stones to sunbathe on the rocks and swore to kill anyone who crossed them. Frightened locals sent a cat across the bridge to test it, but the cat disappeared into the mist. Then a priest was sent to confront the devil. Halfway across, the devil met the envoy and began to curse and intimidate him. The priest responded equally, and the devil allowed people to walk on the stepping stones except on the days when he was sunbathing.

The stepping stones across the River Barle are made of roughly hewn stone slabs laid overlapping. Their total length exceeds that of other similar structures (about 40) in Britain. The largest slab measures 2.4 meters long and about 1.5 meters wide.

Sources:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarr_Steps_-_geograph.org.uk_-_818829.jpg

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%80_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%81#cite_note-15
photo
Jermaine

Follow us on social media

More stories from World: The oldest bridges still in use

The Arkadiko Bridge or the Bridge to the Barracks

Leof. Asklipiou 27, Arkadiko 210 52, Greece

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The Arkadiko Bridge (Greek name Γέφυρα του Αρκαδικού), or the Bridge to the Barracks, is one of the oldest arch bridges in the world.
photo
Jermaine

Trajan's Bridge — the longest bridge of antiquity

Trajanova 23, Kostol, Serbia

Serbia: Fortresses and Castles, a Crossroads of Empires and Religions
World: The oldest bridges still in use
The longest ancient Roman bridge, built between 103 and 105 AD according to the design of Apollodorus of Damascus, spanned the Ister (Danube) to the east of the Iron Gates. It was the first bridge in history across the second largest river in Europe.
photo
Jermaine

Caravan Bridge (Turkish name: Kemer Köprüsü, Kervan Köprüsü)

Hilal, Gaziler St. No:173, 35170, 35170 Konak/İzmir, Turkey

World: The oldest bridges still in use
An ancient bridge over the Meles River in the city of Izmir, built no later than 850 BCE in Lydia (present-day Turkey), is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the "oldest dated bridge in the world still in use." The structure is over 2,860 years old, making it one of the oldest functioning bridges in the world.
photo
Jermaine

Fabricio Bridge, also known as the Jews' Bridge or the Four Heads Bridge

Fabricius Bridge, Ponte Fabricio, 00186 Rome RM, Italy

World: The oldest bridges still in use
Built in 62 BC. Also known as the "Ponte dei Quattro Capi" (Italian for Bridge of the Four Heads) — named after the two ancient two-headed herms installed at the beginning of the bridge, depicting the heads of Hercules or the two-faced Janus. In the Middle Ages, another name appeared: the "Jewish Bridge" (Latin: Pons Judaeorum), since nearby, on the left bank of the river from the 13th century, there was a Jewish ghetto.
photo
Jermaine

Jendere Bridge or Septimius Severus Bridge

WJM5+77, 02402 Burmapınar/Kâhta/Adıyaman, Turkey

World: The oldest bridges still in use
An ancient Roman bridge located near the ancient city of Arsameia (modern-day Kahta), 55 km northeast of the city of Adıyaman in southeastern Turkey. The bridge, situated near the road leading from Kahta to the famous Mount Nemrut, presents an exciting challenge for those who wish to learn something new and well-documented about this structure.
photo
Jermaine

Pont du Gard (Roman bridge-aqueduct)

400 Rte du Pont du Gard, 30210 Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The Pont du Gard bridge was built shortly before the Christian era so that the Nîmes aqueduct (almost 50 km long) could cross the Gard River. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which is nearly 50 meters high and has three levels (the longest of which is 275 meters), created a technical and artistic masterpiece.
photo
Jermaine

Alcántara Bridge (Puente de Alcántara)

Roman Temple, 10980 Alcántara, Cáceres, Spain

World: The oldest bridges still in use
Ancient Roman bridge over the Tagus River in the Spanish city of Alcántara, near the Portuguese border. The tallest of the Roman bridges (72 meters)
photo
Jermaine

Pergamum Bridge

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The main function of the crossing, which was 196 meters wide, was to divide the river and direct its water into two channels running beneath the temple. The bridge has survived to this day. It serves not only as a support for a number of modern buildings but also as a transportation interchange.
photo
Jermaine

Römerbrücke, Roman or Old Moselle Bridge

Roman Bridge, Römerbrücke, 54290 Trier, Germany

World: The oldest bridges still in use
An ancient Roman bridge over the Moselle River in the city of Trier, Germany. Built between 144 and 152 AD, much of the original Römerbrücke structure has survived to this day, although some parts—particularly the roadway and its arches—date back to the 18th century. The Römerbrücke bridge is still in use and is considered the oldest bridge in Germany. Constructed by the Roman general Agrippa, it was made from large basalt blocks from the German Eifel mountains, held together with iron clamps, just like the remarkable Roman city gates of Trier, the Porta Nigra.
photo
Jermaine

The bridge near Limira (in Turkish, Kırkgöz Kemeri, which means "bridge of forty arches")

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The bridge near Limyra is a relatively unknown but unique stone bridge. It is considered one of the oldest segmental arch bridges in the world. It is located near the ancient city of Limyra and is the largest ancient structure in the region. The way the arches of the bridge were constructed gave it an unusually flat profile, which was unique for Roman engineering of that time.
photo
Jermaine

Dezful Bridge or Roman Bridge, the oldest surviving brick bridge

Dezful, دزفول, Old Bridge, 99JR+Q49, Iran

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The historic Dezful Bridge has stood for over 17 centuries and is known as the oldest surviving brick bridge in the world. It is also known as the "Roman Bridge," built during the reign of the first Sasanian, Shapur.
photo
Jermaine

Julien Bridge (Julius Bridge), in French Pont Julien

Pont Julien, Les Lavandins, Rte du Pont Julien, 84480 Bonnieux, France

World: The oldest bridges still in use
A Roman stone arch bridge over the Calavon River in southeastern France, dating back to 3 BCE. It was originally built on the Via Domitia, an important Roman road that connected Italy with Roman territories in France. It was used for vehicular traffic until 2005, when a new bridge was constructed to protect it from wear. It is still used as a bicycle and pedestrian path. This amounts to approximately 2,000 years of continuous use.
photo
Jermaine

Tiberius Bridge (Ponte di Tiberio), Augustus Bridge (Ponte d'Augusto), or Saint Julian Bridge (Ponte di San Giuliano)

Ponte di Tiberio, Ponte di Tiberio, 47921 Rimini RN, Italy

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The Tiberius Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Tiberio), historically also called the Bridge of Augustus (Ponte d'Augusto) or the Bridge of Saint Julian (Ponte di San Giuliano), is a Roman bridge in Rimini, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.
photo
Jermaine

Milvian or Mulvian Bridge (Ponte Milvio or Ponte Molle)

Ponte Milvio Bridge, Ponte Milvio, 00135 Rome RM, Italy

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The bridge over the Tiber in the northern part of Rome was economically and strategically important during the Roman Empire era. It was the site of the famous Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, which led to Constantine's imperial rule.
photo
Jermaine

The Bridge of Saint Angel (Ponte Sant’Angelo) or the Bridge of Hadrian

Eliev Bridge, Ponte Sant'Angelo, 00186 Rome RM, Italy

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The bridge over the Tiber in Rome, built between 134 and 139 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. The bridge connected the city center with Hadrian's Mausoleum (later the Castel Sant'Angelo). Since the bridge led to Hadrian's Mausoleum, the Romans called it the "Hadrian Bridge" or the "Aelian Bridge" (Latin: Pons Aelius), after the shortened form of the emperor's full name (Publius Aelius Hadrianus).
photo
Jermaine

Flavian Bridge (Pont Flavien)

70 Av. Maurice Berle, 13250 Saint-Chamas, France

World: The oldest bridges still in use
Roman bridge over the Touloubre River in Saint-Chamas, Bouches-du-Rhône department, in southern France. The single-arch bridge was located on the Roman road Via Julia Augusta — between Placentia, Italy, and Arles. It is the only surviving example of a Roman bridge with triumphal arches from the Augustan period, although similar bridges likely existed elsewhere, as evidenced by depictions on coins from the late 1st century BCE.
photo
Jermaine

Pont sur la Laye or the Roman Bridge of Manosque (Pont sur la Laye)

Chemin de Chateauneuf, 04300 Mane, France

World: The oldest bridges still in use
An ancient stone arch bridge over the Ley River in French Provence near the town of Man.
photo
Jermaine

Khoda Afarin Bridges: From Ancient Times to the Present Day

5W2Q+3J Khoda Afarin, Iran

World: The oldest bridges still in use
The most famous examples of bridges in the Transcaucasus are the ancient Khudafarin Bridges. The well-known Arab traveler and geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi, who visited these places in the 1210s and 1220s, called the Aras "a remarkable river."
photo
Jermaine

Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge)

Rathausquai 6, 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland

World: The oldest bridges still in use
Kapellbrücke (literally, Chapel Bridge) is a covered wooden pedestrian bridge that crosses the Reuss River diagonally in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland. Named after the nearby St. Peter's Chapel, the bridge is unique in that it contains a series of internal paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with much of the centuries-old bridge in a fire in 1993. Subsequently restored, Kapellbrücke is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world. It serves as a symbol of the city and one of Switzerland’s main tourist attractions.
photo
Jermaine