Thanks for those links, Strider. From the geograph photo you can see, part of the remains of the original bridge. This, I understand, collapsed in the 1960's or thereabouts. It may have suffered the same fate as another ancient stone bridge over the River Vyrnwy near Meifod. I was given an accurate description of that one's fate by an old farmer, whose house was right beside it. As the river thawed out in the big freeze of 1963 massive blocks of snow and ice piled up against it, taking it out completely.
Here's the track leading to the bridge, as you can see, there are no 'Get orf moi laaand' signs at the entrance:
Those were on the field gate east side of the bridge.
Thanks for your comment BuzyG. There was a footpath from the west side of the bridge back to the pub on older B&W maps. It is reasonable to suppose that the pub drew custom from the far side of the river. As the pub is call the Powys Arms, did the landowner collect the rents there, so land across the bridge may well have been part of the estate, should we not be able to share in bits of our history by walking the ways many of ancestors walked
Bridges are a whole new kettle of fish compared to a path across a field.
I agree, I have realised that lost infrastructure can be far more important and a failure not to recognise their value damages the asset value of the footpath network, also by not understanding their strategic position relative to a modern day network.
When the Maginnis Bridge collapsed the farmer tried to get support from the council to re-instate the bridge and was refused, I assume that he obtained a section of military surplus bridge, a lot around in those days and went it alone. The holding then was only small, a living attached to the Powys Arms pub, when I started exploring that area the landlord was quite open about the history as he knew it. I think if he had been handled right by the Rights of Way officers he might have been won over, at that time the CLA were actively touting for membership. He had been indoctrinated about the risk of third party claims etc, etc.
Though he did tell me a story of one of the long time regulars of the pub, who used to drive his landrover over fields to the bridge and walk over the bridge and the short distance to the pub, usually drinking well over the legal limit.
That publican died rather suddenly and the field was sold off.
There some brilliant lines for walking west from The Powys Arms and there is a lovely approach to it over the Breiddens and down through Bytherig, marred slightly by some rather stupid little anomalies in the RoW track. Sadly anyone making this approach will run into a locked, with attitude, gate, a lot of barbed wire and privacy notices. That was a couple of years ago.
I looked up the Cross Britain Way, starting at the Wash and heading for Barmouth. It crosses Cannock Chase then dips well South going along the Wenlock Edge before taking a northerly route to the Buttington Bridge. Had the Definitive Map of Shropshire had a truer representation to the Pre War Ordnance Survey maps there would have been a fairly clear line across Shropshire from Lilleshall Abbey to the Maginnis Bridge.
It is a shame that these new LDPs have to cherry pick other LDPs to make there way across country, the line that could have been chosen has plenty of countryside interest, creating a totally different experience to that force fed by lack of choice. There could also be another feeder line to this bridge from the NE of the county, again this is not immediately recognizable because of ways lost from the reestablishment of agricultural land after military use.
Also there is a very good linear walk; A Shrewsbury - Four Crosses bus service drops at Crew Green on the east side of the Breiddens by walking to the canal towpath behing the Powis Arms it is a strait and attractive walk into Welshpool and the train station. Don't tell the Irreverent Merrill.