The bridge was commissioned by Scottish Whig lawyer Henry Erskine to provide a southern approach to his country residence Almondell House, spanning over the River Almond, from the old Edinburgh-Glasgow route as this enters East Calder.

[1] Erskine's mansion was built in the 1790s, but fell into disrepair in the 1960s and was finally demolished in 1969; its site is now occupied by the disabled car park adjacent to the Almondell Country Park Visitor Centre.

[2] Sections of the bridge collapsed into the river in 1973, but the entire structure was restored in 1997 by Ted Ruddock for West Lothian Council, at a cost of £218,000 funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Its construction is from local sandstone ashlar, in a style that can be described as ‘romantic Italianate', to match the mansion.

This is topped by a castellated parapet, and a central balustrade, and includes ‘merlons’ (stone seats), coursers, rock-faced voussoirs, and slab coping on square piers in centre.