One of the largest medieval bridges in Britain, it is a Grade I listed building and ancient monument.

[1] The footpath was added in the 1830s and cast iron used to strengthen the bridge under the direction of James Green.

[7][1] In the 1960s some of the original stonework of the deck was replaced with concrete faced with masonry, above the original stone arches,[7] removing the Victorian ironworks to give the bridge an image identical to how it would have looked between 1796 and 1832.

Traffic congestion was considerable on the bridge until, in May 2007, the Barnstaple Western Bypass was opened so traffic heading towards Braunton and Ilfracombe avoids travelling through the town centre over the ancient bridge.

[9] In 2016 plans were announced to upgrade the bridge including widening of footpaths and the creation of cycle lanes.