.gif)
Union Bridge (Tweed)
Encyclopedia
The Union Bridge is a suspended-deck suspension bridge that spans the River Tweed
between Horncliffe
, Northumberland
, England
and Fishwick
, Borders
, Scotland
. When it opened in 1820 it was the longest wrought iron
suspension bridge
in the world with a span of 137 metres (449 ft), and the first vehicular bridge of its type in Britain
.
Although work started on the Menai Suspension Bridge
first, Union Bridge was completed earlier. Today it is the oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic. It lies on Sustrans
Route 1 and the Pennine Cycleway
.
The bridge has been maintained by the Tweed Bridges Trust, since the abolition of turnpike
tolls in 1883. It is a Category A listed building in Scotland and a Grade I listed building in England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
in both countries.
Before the opening of the Union Bridge, crossing the river
at this point involved an eleven-mile round trip via Berwick-upon-Tweed
downstream
or a twenty mile trip via Coldstream
upstream
. (Ladykirk and Norham Bridge
did not open until 1888.)
officer, Captain Samuel Brown. Brown's first design for the bridge was prepared in 1817, and reviewed by the eminent civil engineer John Rennie
. Brown had built an experimental suspension bridge with a span of 110 ft, which impressed Rennie. Nonetheless, Rennie asked for changes to the design of the stone abutments and towers.
Brown would have been familiar with the fact that a wood
en sailing ship
is not totally rigid and designed the bridge on the same basis. Originally the deck was supported by three chains of iron bar links on each side. In 1902 a pair of wire rope cables was added. The decking is of timber and the whole structure is designed to flex slightly under load. Standing on it when a vehicle crosses is reminiscent of being on a ship. For this reason, traffic is now limited to one vehicle on the bridge at any one time.
The bridge proposal, received consent in July 1819 using an Act of Parliament
that had been passed in 1802, and construction began 2 August 1819. It opened on 26 July the following year, with an opening ceremony attended by Robert Stephenson
among others. Captain Brown tested the bridge in a curricle
towing twelve carts, before a crowd of about 700 spectators crossed. The final cost was GB£
6,449.
In addition to the 1902 addition of cables, the bridge has been strengthened and refurbished on many occasions. The bridge deck was substantially renewed in 1871, and again in 1974, with the chains reinforced at intervals throughout its life.
The bridge was closed to motor vehicles for several months during 2007. A newspaper report available online (see external links) indicates that the closure happened shortly before 12 April 2007 and was due to one of the bridge hangers breaking. The affected hanger has temporarily been replaced with threaded bar to allow the bridge to reopen to motor vehicles.
In December 2008 the bridge was closed to traffic as a result of a landslide.
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...
between Horncliffe
Horncliffe
Horncliffe is a village in the county of Northumberland, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Tweed about south west of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and about north east of Norham and is the most northerly village in England.- Governance :...
, 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 Fishwick
Fishwick
Fishwick is a small village in the Scottish Borders, in the traditional county of Berwickshire....
, 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...
. When it opened in 1820 it was the longest wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
in the world with a span of 137 metres (449 ft), and the first vehicular bridge of its type in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Although work started on the Menai Suspension Bridge
Menai Suspension Bridge
The Menai Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the first modern suspension bridge in the world.-Construction:...
first, Union Bridge was completed earlier. Today it is the oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic. It lies on Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
Route 1 and the Pennine Cycleway
Pennine Cycleway
The Pennine Cycleway is a Sustrans-sponsored route from the English city of Derby to Berwick-upon-Tweed on the Scottish border. It goes through the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales by way of Buxton, Hebden Bridge, Sedbergh, Appleby, Bellingham and Branton....
.
The bridge has been maintained by the Tweed Bridges Trust, since the abolition of turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
tolls in 1883. It is a Category A listed building in Scotland and a Grade I listed building in England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
in both countries.
Before the opening of the Union Bridge, crossing the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
at this point involved an eleven-mile round trip via Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
downstream
Downstream
-Science:* In geography, away from the source of a stream or river* In meteorology, away from the source of an air parcel or mass, along the normal direction of water or air flow* Downstream , in computer or telecommunications networks...
or a twenty mile trip via Coldstream
Coldstream
Coldstream is a small town in the Borders district of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland in England lies to the south bank, with Cornhill-on-Tweed the nearest village...
upstream
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
. (Ladykirk and Norham Bridge
Ladykirk and Norham Bridge
Ladykirk and Norham Bridge, which connects Ladykirk in the Borders, Scotland, with Norham in Northumberland, England, is a bridge in the United Kingdom that spans the River Tweed. It is a late stone road bridge with four arches designed by Thomas Codrington and Cuthbert A. Brereton for the Tweed...
did not open until 1888.)
Design and construction
The bridge's longevity may owe something to the fact that it was designed by a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer, Captain Samuel Brown. Brown's first design for the bridge was prepared in 1817, and reviewed by the eminent civil engineer John Rennie
John Rennie
-People:* John Rennie the Elder , engineer * Sir John Rennie the Younger , engineer * John Rennie , naval architect...
. Brown had built an experimental suspension bridge with a span of 110 ft, which impressed Rennie. Nonetheless, Rennie asked for changes to the design of the stone abutments and towers.
Brown would have been familiar with the fact that a wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
en sailing ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
is not totally rigid and designed the bridge on the same basis. Originally the deck was supported by three chains of iron bar links on each side. In 1902 a pair of wire rope cables was added. The decking is of timber and the whole structure is designed to flex slightly under load. Standing on it when a vehicle crosses is reminiscent of being on a ship. For this reason, traffic is now limited to one vehicle on the bridge at any one time.
The bridge proposal, received consent in July 1819 using an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
that had been passed in 1802, and construction began 2 August 1819. It opened on 26 July the following year, with an opening ceremony attended by Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
among others. Captain Brown tested the bridge in a curricle
Curricle
A curricle was a smart, light two-wheeled chaise or "chariot", large enough for the driver and a passenger and— most unusual for a vehicle with a single axle—usually drawn by a carefully matched pair of horses...
towing twelve carts, before a crowd of about 700 spectators crossed. The final cost was GB£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
6,449.
Refurbishments
The bridge was closed to motor vehicles for several months during 2007. A newspaper report available online (see external links) indicates that the closure happened shortly before 12 April 2007 and was due to one of the bridge hangers breaking. The affected hanger has temporarily been replaced with threaded bar to allow the bridge to reopen to motor vehicles.
In December 2008 the bridge was closed to traffic as a result of a landslide.
External links
- Union Chain Bridge Blog maintained by Project 2020.
- Chain Bridge Honey Farm - situated next to Union Chain Bridge.
- Photos of the bridge on BBC Tyne
- Chain Bridge House page - note their comments about the effects of wind.
- Just as Berwick received special mention in international documents (see At war with Russia?), so the Tweed Bridges Trust continues to receive special mention in The Transport Levying Bodies Regulations.
- Information from the Structural Images of the North East (SINE) project, University of Newcastle upon TyneUniversity of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle University is a major research-intensive university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England. It was established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834 and became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne by an Act of Parliament in August 1963. Newcastle University is...
. - Archived photos Articles of interest around Berwick Upon Tweed, including Union Bridge
- http://www.berwickshiretoday.co.uk/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2694739§ionid=972 Report of the closure of the bridge shortly before 12 April 2007.