Gathe Bridge
This magnificant structure is the only bridge over the River Gathe downstream of Ysni's Ford. As such this has both mercantile and military importance.
Purpose / Function
River crossing from the County of Abgathe to the County of the Gantii.
The bridge is actually a series of spans from island to island. The total span length is 2000m, but the total distance from start to end is over 3000m. The minimal width of the bridge is 5m.
Architecture
The Gathe Bridge is primarily Rock. The exception being two sections that have been built of wood - the Drawbridge at the Bridge Gate and the Trunk-Bridge by the Water-temple - made from giant pine-trunks and spanning over the 50m waterway. All the other spans are under 15m wide and most require just 5m-10m arches.
History
In Pre-History, there was a walkway from the land to the Great Temple of Gathe and thus the north end of the Gathe Bridge is much older than the remainder of the structure.
The first true bridge was built by the Old Empire, and included arches on piles driven into the river bed. It lasted until the first winter when the river washed the entire structure into the sea.
The second (current) bridge was built by Token. It took some considerable negotiation and the route is more circuitous than the first bridge - but it has no piers in the river and wends its way through the rocky teeth of the Abgathe from one islet to the next until it arrives at the south bank. Note that the old walkway diverges from the modern bridge slightly before the Great Temple of Gathe as there was no way to form a bridge directly from the Temple Isles to the next islets.
Political Importance
The maintenance of the Gathe Bridge is the responsibility of the "Keeper of the Bridge" (appointed by the Corporation of Gathetoken but the short-list is subject to approval by the High King). As this bridge is such an important piece of infrastructure, the holder of this post is considered resident in the Abgathe District - and as such is the only person eligible to hold the second post of Warder for Abgathe District to the Corporation of Gathetoken.
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