Description of Historic Place

The 22.6 metre long Gayton Covered Bridge is located in the village of Memramcook, in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. Still in use, it enables the Gayton Road traffic to cross the Memramcook River near what used to be the Village of Gayton.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Gayton Covered Bridge lies in its representation of covered bridges. Built in 1930, it is a typical example of the countless covered bridges found in New Brunswick during the 19th century. Its Howe truss structure and gable roof demonstrate the method used to build nearly all of the covered bridges still found in New Brunswick.

The heritage value of the Gayton Covered Bridge is also associated with its historic interest. It is the last of the covered bridges in the Memramcook region and one of some 60 remaining covered bridges in New Brunswick. It was built to replace another bridge, at the same location, which dated back several years and played a very important role in land travel between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Before a bridge was built further downstream on the Memramcook River, the Gayton Road was the main north-south roadway link in the area, and it crossed the Memramcook River using the Gayton Covered Bridge.

There is also heritage value linked to the Gayton Covered Bridge’s commemorative interest. Its name recalls the former Village of Gayton, in which it was located prior to the amalgamation of the Greater Memramcook Area. The Gayton Covered Bridge is often identified as the Boudreau Bridge, commemorating a very common family name in the former Village of Gayton. The bridge is also known as the Memramcook River No. 4, calling to mind its location on the Memramcook River.

Source: Memramcook Village Office, Site File, “Le Pont Couvert de Gayton"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Gayton Covered Bridge include:
- location on the upper Memramcook River, still enabling traffic to circulate between Memramcook East and Memramcook West;
- Howe truss structure;
- single span, 22.6m long and 5.8m wide;
- gable roof clad in wood shingles;
- exterior cladding of vertical boards;
- 4.1 m height restriction for vehicles;
- railings on both interior sides of the bridge;
- weight restriction of 10 tonnes for vehicles;
- steel beam structure protecting the west side entrance.