High Bridge

Britain's oldest masonry bridge still carrying buildings on its span

High Bridge spans the River Witham at the foot of Lincoln High Street and is the oldest bridge in Britain still carrying buildings on its span — a 12th-century stone arch with a 16th-century half-timbered house perched on top. The bridge is a structural curiosity (and a tight squeeze for pedestrians on a busy market day) and the half-timbered house above it has been a Stokes tea room since the 1930s.

The bridge is best appreciated from the riverside walkway directly below: a small section of arch is visible from underneath, with the tea-shop windows looking out over the water. The view back along the river to the cathedral, on a clear day, is one of the city's most photographed.

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The half-timbered building on the bridge is a 16th-century addition to the 12th-century stone arch beneath; it has variously housed butchers, haberdashers, and (since 1937) a tea room run by Stokes coffee company. When the bridge was being repaired in the early 20th century, engineers had to work around the houses above; they have been on the bridge ever since.

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