Where might this be?

[cristeen]

Thank you all for your interest and input.
In answer to some of the queries
Charles Herbert started painting as a boy, I have a couple of early watercolours, maybe 1880s. His obituary states he mainly painted landscapes. I have attached an earlier one, painted some time in the 1890s, he was living in Brotton at that time.
In terms of his army career, by 1895 he was lieutenant in 1st North Riding of Yorkshire (Western Division, Royal Artillery) which I believe was a volunteer force.
I have looked at images of bridges in all the areas I know he lived, worked or holidayed and also suggestions made by all you RCers. I know very little about bridge construction etc but the bridge in the painting I would say is definitely of medieval construction. Charles Herbert's glass plate negatives are mostly of old churches and other buildings so I guess architecture was a particular interest of his.
I have to agree with many of you that in all likelihood this is a composite, or a true likeness of a bridge with a more interesting backdrop

[Nick_Ips]

It is a real shame we've not been able to solve this one so far, maybe someone else will come along and help us out! He certainly was a very talented artist and you are so lucky to have some of his works.

I know very little about bridge construction etc but the bridge in the painting I would say is definitely of medieval construction.

It is a small point of clarification, but one that may help others if they take up the search. Although the design features of the bridge are medieval style, the actual construction date of the bridge may be much later. Searching for pictures on the internet using the term "medieval" might miss it.

The limiting factor in masonry bridge design is the shape of the arch - the ratio between span and the height of the arch. The limit had been pretty much reached in medieval times and anything constructed after that time will look generally the same, apart from in the detailing. Brunel's Maidenhead Railway bridge (1838, in brick) was considered a very daring experiment in pushing the boundaries of span/height ratio, but to modern eyes looks little different to late medieval proportions. It wasn't until the introduction of cast iron, and then steel (e.g. after late 1700's) that bridge design started to take on radical new forms, albeit slowly as the engineers worked out how to use these new-fangled materials. 

So something that looks like a medieval stone bridge could easily date from Victorian times, or even later if the designer/client was willing to pay the higher costs of masonry compared to iron/steel.

[fanny-gas-light]

Hello everyone, it's been ages since i posted here but i was thinking i have seen many images of the Old Dee Bridge Chester on my hunts around the internet and this looks very similar in a lot of ways right down to the spire church on the left. And the box like brick work along the top, there is an photo taken in 2014 that gives a nice comparison. Also some painting by various artists that maybe useful.
Of course i am most likely barking up the wrong tree but you never know. Regards to everyone.

[Ruskie]

Funny you should mention that FGL. It was one of my first thoughts - I think it was the fast flowing water plus the bridge which made me think of the Old Dee Bridge. I think there are too many differences though, but perhaps artistic licence was used and the painting may have been a composite of several places, or changes may have been made to a real scene to suit the artist.

[John915]

Good morning,

I would say no, the old Dee bridge has 6 arches. The cutwaters don't go to the top, they are sloped inwards below road level.

There is also a weir on the side we would be looking at towards the church.

Lastly, no hills in the background as in painting. Painters, even amateurs, paint what they see not what they would like to see. So I think this is an actual scene not an innacurate invented one.

John915

[Scribble1952]

There is one thing about the artist ,his work is rare,
will be worth quite a sum ,when he becomes famous😀 All the best.

[shaun]

Just a thought that nobody has mentioned yet. The river looks to me like it is bending round to the right. So the pillar on the far right could be hiding a second archway over the water behind that little bush. The river could actually be twice as wide as we are believing it to be?

sorry for my lack of technical terms haha

[julieriddiough]

looks like the Old Elvet Bridge in Durham.

The one of Brotton Woods is Great, Im from Brotton and now live in county Durham

[cristeen]

That's a really interesting suggestion julieriddiough. I would say it's a strong candidate as Charles and family were living at 13 Old Elvet in the 1871 census.