May 24, 2015
The Cribstone Bridge
Morse's Cribstone Grill |
We finish our meal and it’s that time of day
when you’re on vacation and you have nowhere you have to be and nothing you
have to do and you’re in a beautiful place where you’ve never been before. The
sky is mostly clear with just enough clouds to promise a spectacular sunset, the temperature
perfect for a stroll across the bridge adjacent to the restaurant. We didn’t
really pay it much attention when we bicycled across it earlier, nor do we pay
it much attention now, we’re so taken with the view of the boats, the horizon,
the colorful pile of kayaks on the other side. But when we cross over it, we
notice a sign saying it’s a historic landmark.
Constructed in 1927-28, the design of the Bailey
Island Bridge presented a challenge because of the strong tides. Copying a
bridge in Scotland, it was built using granite slabs stacked one
upon the other in an open cribbing style to permit the tide to ebb and flow
freely. Today it is the only bridge of its kind in the world.
We wander onto the beach to get a closer look.
A manmade structure designed solely for a utilitarian purpose, yet stunning in
its simplicity. I wonder how many people cross over it and – like us
– don’t even notice its uniqueness. But now we don’t squander the time we have to marvel at the light shining through the open cells, at its
random yet orderly structure. And maybe it's all the more beautiful because we knew nothing about it when we landed here unexpectedly for the night.
Look carefully where the arch is at its highest and you will see the opening that allows boats to pass through. |
I'm sure I would have assumed those were timbers of some sort, rather than granite, making up the base. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
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