Skip to main content

Hardscrabble Covered Bridge - St. Martin's, New Brunswick

Image
By

 


One of two covered bridges to cross Vaughan Creek (also known as the Irish River) in St. Martins, New Brunswick, the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge holds a few distinctions. It is one of a handful of covered bridges within the Province of New Brunswick that has an attached covered walkway. It is also one of two covered bridges in the province where you can see another covered bridge from the bridge. The other covered bridge happens to be the Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge (which was being reconstructed when I visited in early May 2022). This gives the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge and St. Martins another interesting landmark among the interesting things you can see in the area, such as the Fundy Trail Parkway, Bay of Fundy, the Sea Caves and Quaco Head Lighthouse.

Alternatively known as Irish River #2 Covered Bridge, the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge was built in 1946 with a Howe Truss covered bridge design. Spanning 78 feet (or 24 meters) across Vaughan Creek on Main Street, the sidewalk portion of the bridge was added in 1986, allowing for people to safely view the nearby surroundings and the nearby Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge. The Hardscrabble Covered Bridge is one of three covered bridges in the St. Martins area, along with the aforementioned Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge as well as the Tynemouth Creek Covered Bridge. Since the bridge is fairly close to the Bay of Fundy, the high tides do have some effect on the bridge, but likely not much of an effect in normal conditions. Still, the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge is not to be missed if your travels take you to St. Martins, plus there is ample parking near the western portal of the bridge.

Vaughan Creek and construction to the new Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge just to the south of the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge.

The bridge sits at the village limits of St. Martins.

Inside the covered bridge.

The north side of the bridge has some ivy hanging on the siding.

Bridge plaque.

Western portal of the covered bridge, complete with a separated sidewalk.

Side angle of the south side of the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Tourism New Brunswick - Hardscrabble No. 2 Covered Bridge (Irish River No. 2)
New Brunswick Canada - Transportation and Infrastructure
New Brunswick's Covered Bridges - Irish River No. 2 (Hardscrabble)
DaleJTravis.com - New Brunswick Covered Bridges List
Charles E. Frees-Melvin - Irish River # 2 Covered Bridge
Association Heritage New Brunswick - St. Martins Covered Bridges
Labels:
Location: Hardscrabble Covered Bridge, 424 Main St, St. Martins, NB E5R, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

By
  The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more