Drewsteignton

Many thanks to The Fingle Bridge Inn for facilitating the camera's location and to the Westcountry Rivers Trust for capitally funding its installation. Fingle Bridge itself provides an ideal vantage point to assess the river conditions on the River Teign, making it a perfect location for the installation of a Farson Digital streaming webcam. The earliest known record of the place-name dates back to 1317, where it appears as "fenghyl" in the assize rolls, bearing a resemblance to "Fengel." Fingle Bridge is mentioned in the Duchy of Cornwall records dating back to 1765 and has been a popular stop on the tourist route since the early 1800s.Similar to many rivers in Devon, the River Teign originates on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor features a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, situated just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement. Exiting the moor from its eastern side, the river flows through a steep-sided valley beneath Castle Drogo. Continuing southwards, it runs along the eastern edge of the moor. The River Teign becomes tidal at Newton Abbot and eventually reaches the English Channel at Teignmouth. Its estuary forms a substantial ria.Fingle Bridge, a Grade II* listed structure, spans the river near Drewsteignton on Dartmoor. Prior to 1827, the most downstream bridge was Teign Bridge in Teigngrace. During its reconstruction in 1815, it became evident that at least four successive bridges had been built at different times on or over the remains of previous constructions. Mr. P. T. Taylor, who investigated the matter, suggested that the most recent upper work was completed in the sixteenth century, while the red bridge had been constructed on the salt marsh in the thirteenth century. The wooden bridge was believed to be as old as the Norman Conquest, and the white stone bridge was thought to be of Roman origin.In 1976, a viaduct was constructed across the top of the estuary, just below Newton Abbot, to accommodate the newly diverted A380 road. This viaduct spans approximately 550 meters (0.34 miles) and consists of eleven spans. Since 1827, the lowest road crossing over the Teign Estuary has been Shaldon Bridge, which now carries the A379 near the estuary's mouth. A passenger ferry operates slightly downstream, providing transportation between Teignmouth and Shaldon.