Dryburgh Bridge
Encyclopedia
Dryburgh Bridge refers to two different footbridge
s erected near Dryburgh Abbey
, Borders
, Scotland
, between the villages of Dryburgh
and St. Boswells
(part of a ribbon of settlements including Newtown St. Boswells
), across the River Tweed
. A crossing has existed here for centuries, originally with a ferry
service.
of significant historical interest. It had been commissioned by David Stewart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, an eccentric
Scottish aristocrat
who later died in Dryburgh. It was 79 metres long. At the time, the cable-stayed type of bridge was undergoing a period of rapid growth in popularity. The Earl
opened the completed bridge on August 1, 1817, but in January 1818 it collapsed. After a redesign a replacement was built, but this too collapsed in 1838, by which time the Earl had been dead for several years.
The 1818 collapse, together with that of a slightly shorter bridge across the Saale River in Germany
in 1824, caused the reputation of cable-stayed bridges to decline rapidly, and despite a history dating back to the 17th century, the design was almost completely abandoned for over a century, with suspended-deck suspension bridges gaining favour. Later research in the 1930s, and experience with reconstruction after the Second World War, demonstrated that with sound design, cable-stayed bridges are not without advantages, and the first modern design, the Strömsund Bridge
in Sweden
, was completed in 1955.
Interestingly, very shortly after the 1818 collapse (between 1819 and 1820) another bridge, the Union Bridge
, was built further downstream. It was an iron
suspended-deck suspension bridge, the longest in the world upon its completion.
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
s erected near Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, was nominally founded on 10 November 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale and Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland...
, Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, between the villages of Dryburgh
Dryburgh
Dryburgh is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, famous for the ruined Dryburgh Abbey.-The Temple of the Muses:This circular nine columned gazebo stands since 1817 on Bass Hill, a mound overlooking the River Tweed at the west end of the village...
and St. Boswells
St. Boswells
St Boswells is a village on the south side of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. It lies about 1 mile SE of Newtown St Boswells on the A68 road....
(part of a ribbon of settlements including Newtown St. Boswells
Newtown St. Boswells
Newtown St. Boswells is a village on the Bowden Burn, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and the administrative centre of the Scottish Borders Council. It is part of a ribbon of settlements running between the A7 and A68 roads, which also includes Galashiels, Melrose, and St Boswells.-The...
), across the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
. A crossing has existed here for centuries, originally with a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service.
Cable-stayed bridge
Dryburgh Abbey Bridge was a cable-stayed bridgeCable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
of significant historical interest. It had been commissioned by David Stewart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, an eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
Scottish aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
who later died in Dryburgh. It was 79 metres long. At the time, the cable-stayed type of bridge was undergoing a period of rapid growth in popularity. The Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
opened the completed bridge on August 1, 1817, but in January 1818 it collapsed. After a redesign a replacement was built, but this too collapsed in 1838, by which time the Earl had been dead for several years.
The 1818 collapse, together with that of a slightly shorter bridge across the Saale River in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1824, caused the reputation of cable-stayed bridges to decline rapidly, and despite a history dating back to the 17th century, the design was almost completely abandoned for over a century, with suspended-deck suspension bridges gaining favour. Later research in the 1930s, and experience with reconstruction after the Second World War, demonstrated that with sound design, cable-stayed bridges are not without advantages, and the first modern design, the Strömsund Bridge
Strömsund Bridge
The Strömsund Bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge, bringing road E45 over Ströms vattudal, in Strömsund, Jämtland, Sweden.The bridge is 332 m long, with a 182 m long span...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, was completed in 1955.
Interestingly, very shortly after the 1818 collapse (between 1819 and 1820) another bridge, the Union Bridge
Union Bridge (Tweed)
The Union Bridge is a suspended-deck suspension bridge that spans the River Tweed between Horncliffe, Northumberland, England and Fishwick, Borders, Scotland...
, was built further downstream. It was an iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
suspended-deck suspension bridge, the longest in the world upon its completion.