Lowes Bridge
Chigwell
Some 400 metres to the north of the Chigwell Barn is a stone culvert or small bridge, which spans Faulkner’s Rivulet. As with the Chigwell Barn, it dates from the 1840’s. It seems the culvert would have been built by Lowes as a means of accessing his property on the other side of the Rivulet.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that due to the changes brought about by development, the rivulet flowed faster than it does today. One assumes that the bridge was built up stream from the Barn and Lowes larger property to create a stable crossing of the rivulet in winter.
Today Lowes Bridge is enjoyed by the community of Chigwell and is a treasured place in the local environment.
The Sum Of The Parts
As part of the From Barns to Bank Homes – Chigwell History Project (2005 & 2007), a group of grade 3/4 students from Mt Faulkner Primary School learnt about the history of significant buildings in the Chigwell area; Chigwell House, Chigwell Barn, Lowes Bridge, Berriedale Inn and Lowestoft. The students photographed each of these buildings and their environs in order to build a picture of the details and parts that make up the ‘whole’, thereby creating a contemporary pictorial history. Photographers: Laura Telega, Tempany Jarvis, Andrew Holzinger, Noah Thorn, Danielle Stokes.
[1] Alison Alexander, Glenorchy 1804 – 1964, Glenorchy, 1986