Styford Bridge
Encyclopedia
Styford Bridge is a modern concrete bridge carrying the A68 road
across the River Tyne
east of Riding Mill
, Northumberland
, England
and forms part of the A68 bypass
of Corbridge
.
from Darlington
used to descend the south side of the Tyne valley to the village of Riding Mill
, then followed the River Tyne
to the road bridge
at Corbridge
, and from there ran northwest to Jedburgh
. The new road descends sharply to the east and crosses the River Tyne
about 1 miles (1.6 km) downstream of Riding Mill. The new road carries on northwards to meet the A69 road
at the Styford roundabout. The A68 and the A69 follow the bypass west for about 3 miles (5 km) to the Stagshaw Road roundabout where the A68 leaves to join the old alignment.
The new link road was opened by the Duke of Northumberland in a ceremony on the bridge. Present were Councillor Robert Barnett, Chairman of Northumberland County Council
and Councillor the Reverend Alec Beniams, Chairman of Tynedale
District Council. The main contractors for the link road were Northumberland County Council direct labour organisation and Eden Construction of Carlisle Limited. The bridge was the main responsibility of the county council labour force, and was approved by the Royal Fine Art Commission
. The bridge, which cost £530,000, was personally designed by Tom Smith, assistant county surveyor.
jets collided in mid-air over the Tyne Valley, and one crashed to earth. The two-man crew from one aircraft, a Tornado
from RAF Laarbruch
in West Germany, ejected to safety. The other plane, a Jaguar
, managed to stay in the air and returned to an RAF base. The pilot and navigator from the Tornado were both injured. Wreckage from the crash fell onto the bridge causing minor damage to the road surface and to both safety barriers.
A68 road
The A68 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Darlington in England to the A720 in Scotland.From Darlington, the road runs north, bypassing Bishop Auckland, and running through West Auckland, Toft Hill and Tow Law, past Consett and Corbridge...
across the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
east of Riding Mill
Riding Mill
Riding Mill is a village near Hexham in Northumberland, England. It is served by Riding Mill railway station and by a frequent bus service on the route from Hexham to Newcastle.Riding Mill is notable as the location of Riding Mill pumping station...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and forms part of the A68 bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
of Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
.
History
The A68 roadA68 road
The A68 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Darlington in England to the A720 in Scotland.From Darlington, the road runs north, bypassing Bishop Auckland, and running through West Auckland, Toft Hill and Tow Law, past Consett and Corbridge...
from Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
used to descend the south side of the Tyne valley to the village of Riding Mill
Riding Mill
Riding Mill is a village near Hexham in Northumberland, England. It is served by Riding Mill railway station and by a frequent bus service on the route from Hexham to Newcastle.Riding Mill is notable as the location of Riding Mill pumping station...
, then followed the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
to the road bridge
Corbridge Bridge
Corbridge Bridge is a 17th century stone bridge across the River Tyne at Corbridge, Northumberland, England. The bridge used to carry the A68 road over the River Tyne, but since the opening of the Hexham bypass , the A68 now crosses by the Styford Bridge downstream of Corbridge.-History:The bridge...
at Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
, and from there ran northwest to Jedburgh
Jedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
. The new road descends sharply to the east and crosses the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
about 1 miles (1.6 km) downstream of Riding Mill. The new road carries on northwards to meet the A69 road
A69 road
The A69 is a major road in northern England, running east-west across the Pennines, through the counties of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Cumbria. Originally the road started in Blaydon, but since the creation of the A1 Western Bypass around Newcastle upon Tyne, it now starts at Denton Burn a...
at the Styford roundabout. The A68 and the A69 follow the bypass west for about 3 miles (5 km) to the Stagshaw Road roundabout where the A68 leaves to join the old alignment.
The new link road was opened by the Duke of Northumberland in a ceremony on the bridge. Present were Councillor Robert Barnett, Chairman of Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. It was originally formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed in 1974 to cover a the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland...
and Councillor the Reverend Alec Beniams, Chairman of Tynedale
Tynedale
Tynedale was a local government district in south-west Northumberland, England. It had a resident population of 58,808 according to the 2001 Census, and was named after the River Tyne . Its main towns were Hexham, Haltwhistle and Prudhoe...
District Council. The main contractors for the link road were Northumberland County Council direct labour organisation and Eden Construction of Carlisle Limited. The bridge was the main responsibility of the county council labour force, and was approved by the Royal Fine Art Commission
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government.-Function:CABE was the...
. The bridge, which cost £530,000, was personally designed by Tom Smith, assistant county surveyor.
Air crash
On 9 January 1990 two RAFRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
jets collided in mid-air over the Tyne Valley, and one crashed to earth. The two-man crew from one aircraft, a Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
from RAF Laarbruch
RAF Laarbruch
The former Royal Air Force Station Laarbruch, more commonly known as RAF Laarbruch ICAO EDUL was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands...
in West Germany, ejected to safety. The other plane, a Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
, managed to stay in the air and returned to an RAF base. The pilot and navigator from the Tornado were both injured. Wreckage from the crash fell onto the bridge causing minor damage to the road surface and to both safety barriers.
External links
- Styford Bridge Retrieved 30-05-2009