Wrought Iron Garden Bridges
A bridge changes the way a garden is used: it turns a pond or a stream from an obstacle into the spot where everyone stops to look. We design and hand-forge metal garden bridges for private gardens, hotel grounds and public parks, from short spans over an ornamental pond to long footbridges with built-in lighting.
Our garden bridge designs
Every bridge shown here was made to order in our workshop. Span, width, arch height and decking are always drawn for one particular site, so treat the designs above as a starting point rather than a fixed catalogue.
How we build a forged garden bridge
The load-bearing frame is steel, sized by calculation for the span and the foot traffic it will carry. The balustrades are where the blacksmithing happens: bars are heated in the forge, scrolled, split and joined with collars and rivets, which gives each bridge the depth and slight irregularity that only genuine hand work has.
Decks are usually oak or another durable hardwood laid across the frame. On steep, moon-bridge style designs we fit timber steps instead, so the arch can rise higher than a walkable ramp would allow.
Built to stand over water for decades
Before painting, every steel part is hot-dip galvanized, which coats it with zinc inside and out. Together with a quality top coat, this lets an iron garden bridge spend its life above damp ground and water with very little upkeep: the boards may want an occasional oiling, the ironwork just a wash.
Ordering a bridge from the USA, the UK or overseas
Send us a photo of the site and rough measurements of the gap you want to cross. We prepare a drawing, agree the details with you and only then start forging. Smaller models travel fully assembled; longer ones are shipped in sections with bolted joints. Our crew can install the bridge, or we supply drawings for a local contractor.
Garden bridges: function and decoration
Garden bridges are built for many reasons. Most often they do exactly what they were designed for and let people cross a pond, a stream or a ditch. Sometimes, though, a bridge is purely decorative: in Japanese-style gardens, for example, a small arched bridge is placed as an ornament as much as a crossing. Either way, a decorative bridge quickly becomes the focal point of the garden and the place where photos are taken.
Garden bridges can be made of wood, concrete or metal. Concrete bridges are heavy and clumsy, practically impossible to move and of little decorative value, so they suit parks more than private gardens. Wooden bridges are easier to transport, but most are built from softwood that weathers quickly and needs constant care. By far the most popular, and in our view the only sensible choice for a garden, are metal garden bridges.
Why steel is the best material for a metal garden bridge
Metal offers the highest strength in relation to its own size, so a metal bridge can be long without looking heavy. Not every metal is suitable, however; for bridges and other garden architecture the best by far is steel. It is one of the strongest metals, it can be shaped, it is not brittle, and when it is properly protected it resists any weather. That protection is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the whole structure is coated with zinc at high temperature, and a steel garden bridge treated this way can stand over water for decades.
The size of a steel garden bridge can be scaled freely by choosing heavier sections, so the only real limit is what the maker can produce, which is why it pays to choose an experienced workshop. For most garden bridges, though, sheer strength is not the main concern; appearance is. The bridge should first of all be an ornament that also does its job, and ornamental metalwork is exactly what we specialise in.
Forged bridges: designed for your garden
Forged bridges are the most beautiful ornamental bridges, with almost unlimited freedom of form and size. We can make a bridge from our own catalogue, design one to match our wrought iron gates, fences or railings, or match the ironwork you already have in your garden. We can also work from any photo, sketch or drawing, or design a completely new bridge from a description, because our team includes designers as well as blacksmiths.
Although a finished bridge reads as one piece, every detail of it is made separately: raw steel is cut, bent, heated in the forge, hammered and shaped until it takes the right form. Some ornaments take a great deal of work, so a forged bridge is not something that can be made overnight; if you are planning one for next season, it is worth ordering well in advance.
Bridges over ponds and streams
We size each bridge to the obstacle it crosses, from small arched footbridges over an ornamental pond, like the small forged pond bridge AM4, to massive bridges more than 5 m (16 ft) long, like the ornate glamour-style bridge AM1, which weighs about 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Decks are usually oak boards, and the railings are always forged by hand.
Iron garden bridges with lighting
Lamps can be mounted on the railings, as on the stepped bridge with six lamps AM6 or the park bridge AM2 with flower-shaped lamps. A lit bridge looks magical in the evening and is safer after dark, especially when the lamps switch on automatically as someone approaches. To complete the scene, many clients place a garden swing or a few wrought iron benches nearby.
Bridges for parks and public gardens
For parks, spa gardens and public spaces we make wider, heavier bridges designed for many people and frequent use, with railings at the required height and decks that are easy to replace. They can carry a town crest or the name of a park, and their forged balustrades turn an ordinary footbridge into a landmark of the place.
Garden bridge FAQ
How long can a metal garden bridge be?
Spans of roughly 2 to 6 metres (about 6 to 20 ft) are typical for private gardens. Longer park bridges are possible with a deeper frame or intermediate supports.
Can you add lamps, a crest or initials?
Yes. Lamps can be built into the posts or the railing, and a central panel can carry a monogram, a coat of arms or a date.
What kind of foundations does a bridge need?
A small bridge can rest on a concrete pad at each bank. Bigger spans need proper footings, and we specify them on the drawing we send you.
Are your metal garden bridges for sale ready-made?
Each bridge is made to measure for its site, because span, width, arch height and banks are different in every garden. We are glad to quote for a bridge based on a photo and rough measurements.
Bridges belong to our wider garden architecture range, alongside gazebos, pergolas and swings forged in the same workshop.