[2] On 10 June 1800 Samuel Wyatt patented a new design for ...constructing bridges, warehouse, and other builds without the use of wood... which was published in the Repertory of Arts and Manufactures: Vol.14 in 1801.
The patent describes how to construct a bridge using: ...hollow pieces of cast iron in a longitudinal direction and plates or pipes of the same material, having sockets on them, to receive the ends or shoulders of the said pipes, tubes, or other hollow pieces, placed transversely; and extending from one side of the bridge to the other, so that when the required number of pipes, tubes, or other hollow pieces of cast-iron, and of transverse places, or pieces, are put together they form the arch, and so firmly fix, connect, and unite, all the parts, as not to require the aid of screws, bolts, cramps, or any wrought-iron fastenings whatever; but, for the sake of giving the joins a more equal bearing, it will be proper to run lead or cement into them.
[3]The bridge at Culford follows this design with 5 cast iron voussoirs making up one segment arc which is repeated six times forming the 60 ft span connected with socketed joints.
[5] It's estimated that the additional cost of transportation, stonework, and construction gave a total of £10,000 for the installation of the bridge,[6][7] approximately £1 million in 2019 prices.
[9] The infill of the bridge between the deck and road surface was examined in 1998 as was found to be made up of; a single layer of yellow bricks, 15cm of chalk, 40cm of hoggin, finished with 5cm of topsoil with slight different composition at the abutments.