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All the United Kingdom England Postbridge Postbridge Clapper Bridge
AO Edited

Postbridge Clapper Bridge

This ancient stone bridge dates back to the early Middle Ages.

Postbridge, England

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Gavin
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Postbridge Clapper Bridge   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
Postbridge Clapper Bridge   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
Autumnal Bridges   MarkTimeTravel / Atlas Obscura User
Postbridge Clapper Bridge   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
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About

At one time known by some as the "Cyclopean Bridge," some form of the now Postbridge Clapper has stood at this location for centuries. The word clapper is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon word cleaca, which means stepping stones, or "bridging the stepping stones."

The Dartmoor term for the slabs is posts, which is how Postbridge acquired its name. The bridge may date back as early as the 1300s, as many of the nearby moorland farms had been established by this time. The earliest documented record of the bridge comes from a 1655 lease. The bridge also appears on John Ogilby’s Exeter to Truro road map of 1675, where it is marked as “a Stone bridge, 3 Arches Called Post bridge.”

The bridge is supported by two granite piers set into the river bed. Each consists of seven horizontally laid slabs, with a total span of over 42 feet spanning the East Dart River. It is listed as a scheduled monument and considered one of the finest and best-preserved clapper bridges in Devon. 

Near the bridge, you can find a village store and post office, a Dartmoor National Park information center, and a small pub.

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Bridges History & Culture Architecture Design

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Postbridge PL20 6TH, B3212 located on the Moretonhampstead to Two Bridges Road.

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Added By

Gavin

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Vaquero, MarkTimeTravel

  • Vaquero
  • MarkTimeTravel

Published

June 11, 2021

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  • https://www.solosophie.com/postbridge-clapper-bridge/
  • http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/post_bridge.htm
Postbridge Clapper Bridge
Postbridge, England, PL20 6SY
United Kingdom
50.594097, -3.911172
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Nearby Places

William Donaghy Memorial

Dartmoor National Park, England

miles away

Hollowcombe Bottom

Devon, England

miles away

Wistman's Wood

Devon, England

miles away

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Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
Stories 145

Nearby Places

William Donaghy Memorial

Dartmoor National Park, England

miles away

Hollowcombe Bottom

Devon, England

miles away

Wistman's Wood

Devon, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
Stories 145

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