RotherBridge - Rother Valley - Bridges and Streams
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RotherBridge - Rother Valley - Bridges and Streams
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| The Coultershaw Web site covers the Water Pump, Mill and other buildings at this formerly very active site. The wharf being the busiest on the navigation. A short distance from the road in the tranquil trees, it is difficult to imagine the hive of industry that was once here. This was the closest point to Petworth, below the lock, despite the cut for the 'Petworth Canal' which went to Haslingborne. 1803 Bridge at Coultershaw
The sluices, just to the right out of camera shot, are used to maintain a higher water level than when the bridge was built, hiding much of the arch. This quite narrow bridge on a sharp bend shows many scars, where various road vehicles have attempted to widen it. It is a testimony - like many many other similar bridges - to the engineering of some 200 years ago that it continues to withstand today's massive 40 ton 'horseless carriages', albeit that when standing near, it is possible to feel the ground shake! The Navigation Bridge
The bridge over the Rother Navigation was formerly a steep 'hump back' type, the road having been flattened out using the original stone abutments. The remains of the lock chamber are on the other side. A modern weir restricts water flow, the river flow is now under the main bridge and over/through the sluices. Not all the river flow goes this way - there is a division a little way upstream and this flows to the south under the reused stones of the former Rotherbridge, near the Petworth station site and recombines further downstream. It is not clear which of the channels is the original course.
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