Llandinam bridge crosses the River Severn; a single span of ironwork with curved stone abutments. It was Montgomeryshire’s first iron road bridge, completed in 1846, its historical significance as well as its elegance meriting its Grade II* listing. The ironwork contractor was John Rigby of Harwarden Ironworks – their name is cast into a panel adjoining the abutment on the downstream side of the bridge – while David Davies of Llandinam built the associated roads. He went on to become one of the most important industrialists in Welsh history, with interests in coal mining and railways, as well as contracting to Penson on a number of occasions, and his statue stands alongside the bridge, as shown in the photograph. Penson’s name and his appointment as County Surveyor are forged into a plate on the upstream side of the bridge.

Text: David Ward