Mill Brook No. 0.5 (Nelson Hollow)

The Nelson Hollow bridge is situated very near the bank of the Southwest Miramichi River, and is notable for three things: it is the oldest extant covered bridge in the province, and it has the wonderful signs on each end (above) warning about the fine that will be issued if you drive "faster than a walk".  [Stephen and John Gillis published a book in 1988 on covered bridges entitled  No Faster Than A Walk, coming from the old legislation that made it an offense to go faster than a walk on a bridge for fear of potential damage to the structure by creating a standing wave.]  And the third notable fact: this bridge is one of only two in the province that has what is called a hip, or cottage, roof (the other being the Turtle Creek, Peter Jonah bridge).  Note how there are four sides to the roof, as opposed to the usual two sided, or gable, roofs found on the rest of the covered bridges in New Brunswick.

Unfortunately, and heartbreakingly, this bridge is a study in neglect and decay.  It is in dire need of repairs and loving care.  When I visited it in late October, 2015, there were holes in the roof, many siding boards had fallen into the water below, the wooden abutments were rotting, and the encroaching brush and scrub trees around it were in need of cutting right back.  Here are some pictures I took.