Canal architecture is often admired for the way it unfussily solves complicated problems while seamlessly integrating with the natural landscape. This is what canal photographer Eric de Maré described as the “functional tradition of design”. It’s the idea of designing a building to do a job well, while also making sure it looks great without being flashy. It’s a phrase De Maré applied to constructions as varied as a lighthouse, a groined sea wall or a railway viaduct. Some of the best examples, he said, were to be found on the canals. A perfect example are the remarkable split bridges of the South Stratford Canal.
One of the best surviving split bridges is the Dick’s Lane Bridge – or to be more precise, Bridge 39, close to Lock 25, the third lock up in the Lapworth Flight. It’s called a split bridge because it doesn’t quite join in the middle, where there’s a gap or split.