A
step-stone bridgeA bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, body of water, or other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge and the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed.-History:The first...
is a simple means for a
pedestrianA pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates, skateboards, and similar devices are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was...
to cross a
watercourseA watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, brooks, anabranches, and so forth....
during periods of low flow while keeping feet and (particularly)
footwearFootwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment, and adornment. Socks and other hosiery are usually worn between the feet and the footwear, less often with sandals and flip flops...
dry. This type, along with the
log bridgeA log bridge is a bridge that uses logs that fall naturally or are intentionally felled or placed across streams. The first manmade bridges with significant span were probably intentionally felled trees. The use of emplaced logs is now sometimes used in temporary bridges used for logging roads,...
are likely the oldest bridge types. Unlike all other bridges, this bridge has no spans. Water is allowed to course between the stones that form the steps. Step-stone bridges are often seen in gardens in
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
and
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is one of several principal types found in such gardens.
A
step-stone bridgeA bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, body of water, or other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge and the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed.-History:The first...
is a simple means for a
pedestrianA pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates, skateboards, and similar devices are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was...
to cross a
watercourseA watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, brooks, anabranches, and so forth....
during periods of low flow while keeping feet and (particularly)
footwearFootwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment, and adornment. Socks and other hosiery are usually worn between the feet and the footwear, less often with sandals and flip flops...
dry. This type, along with the
log bridgeA log bridge is a bridge that uses logs that fall naturally or are intentionally felled or placed across streams. The first manmade bridges with significant span were probably intentionally felled trees. The use of emplaced logs is now sometimes used in temporary bridges used for logging roads,...
are likely the oldest bridge types. Unlike all other bridges, this bridge has no spans. Water is allowed to course between the stones that form the steps. Step-stone bridges are often seen in gardens in
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
and
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is one of several principal types found in such gardens. Sometimes one will find these as informal crossings of small streams when hiking, as they are often built by hikers during the drier seasons and are subject to being swept away (or at least disarranged) during periods of high, fast water.
When step-stone bridges are in gardens open to the public, the step-stones are usually quarried from rough blocks and may be smoothed on their upper surface by a stone mason or topped with a
smooth
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
treading surface.
Famous step-stone bridges
The
Drukken StepsThe Drukken or Drucken Steps were stepping stones across the Red Burn in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland and are associated with Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns.- The site of the Drukken Steps :...
in the old
Eglinton WoodsEglinton Country Park is a park located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Irvine, on the outskirts of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares , 175...
near
Irvine-Places:Canada* Irvine, Alberta* Irvine Inlet, NunavutUnited Kingdom* Irvine, North Ayrshire, Ayrshire, Scotland* Irvine Valley, Ayrshire, Scotland* River Irvine, a river in Scotland* Irvine in Annandale, Scottish BordersUnited States* Irvine, California...
in Scotland, were a favourite haunt of the famous poet
Robert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
and his friend Richard Brown whilst the two were living in Irvine in 1781 - 82.
The name 'Drukken' steps derives from a person's gait as they stepped from stone to stone whilst crossing the burn. Seven or more stones were originally set in the Red Burn which was much wider than now (2009). Burns himself used the Scots spelling 'Drucken' rather than 'Drukken'.