A Bridge Too Far...

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myglaren
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by myglaren »

I'm sure that Neil has mentioned this a while back

A historic bridge linking Scotland and England over the River Tweed has reopened after a £10.5m overhaul.
The complex project saw most of the 200-year-old Union Chain Bridge removed and restored, then put back in place.
How are we going to keep the Picts out now?
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Nice to see it completed Steve.

This was my comment from earlier in the thread...
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 28 Oct 2022, 22:22 Another classic bridge under renovation The Union Chain Bridge over the Tweed at Horncliffe which is the border between England and Scotland at this point. I reckon in its previous state it could quite easily have coped with walkers and cyclists and maybe the odd horse rider for the next century or two but absolutely no need for it to carry motor traffic at all.

Before the renovation, more than adequate to support one man and his dog!
Image
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 01 Jun 2022, 20:29 Checked out what was happening at the Union Chain Bridge, the world's oldest vehicle carrying suspension bridge.

It really is a colossal waste of money from a modern transport infrastructure point of view and that's from someone who regards the bridge as an iconic crossing of the Tweed, and ranks second only to Carter Bar as the best border crossing. Alternative crossings are available and no-one but odd tourist, and cyclists and walkers use it. It connects sparsely populated farmland and country estates on one side with the same on the other.

Its a nice artistic and engineering installation but if such bridges had to to break even with revenues generated by users of the bridge, it would never be renovated and maintained.

Image
Image

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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Two Border Bridges over the Tweed from Scotland (Berwickshire) to England (Northumberland)

Norham
DSC03558.JPG
DSC03561.JPG
and the Newly opened Union Chain Bridge at Horncliffe
DSC03570.JPG
DSC03571.JPG
DSC03578.JPG
DSC03584.JPG
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Just opposite what was Morris Hall Farm (Norham) where the Old Rusty Tractor was sleeping in the Barn is a disused railway...yes fascinating for us who are fascinated with such things.

Quite an insignificant little bridge but beautifully constructed in stone with a brick arch. The line/asset references still exist painted onto the bridge, and many have been repainted fairly recently.

KLO is the Kelso Branch Originally from Tweedmouth Junction with the East Coast Main Line to Kelso
http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/_mi ... k/klo.shtm
Dft  KLO 17<br />The preceding road bridge over the railway
Dft KLO 17
The preceding road bridge over the railway
Rail Bridge<br />Morris Hall Farm Bridge Looking South
Rail Bridge
Morris Hall Farm Bridge Looking South
Dft KLO 18<br />as expected its the next one after KLO 17
Dft KLO 18
as expected its the next one after KLO 17
Rail Bridge Near<br />Morris Hall Farm Looking North
Rail Bridge Near
Morris Hall Farm Looking North
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by Gibbo2286 »

This one is going to cause a lot of grief in the summer, closing for resurfacing with a very long, 14 miles, detour. Monmouth Wye bridge.
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Gibbo2286 wrote: 22 Apr 2023, 08:46 This one is going to cause a lot of grief in the summer, closing for resurfacing with a very long, 14 miles, detour.
Just realised Monmouths other bridge doesn't go over the Wye!

Monnow Bridge, Monmouth
The Monnow Bridge is the only surviving medieval fortified or gate-towered river bridge in Great Britain with its gate tower still standing in place. It is a scheduled ancient monument and a Grade I listed building.

The gate tower was added to the earlier stone bridge in the late 13th or early 14th century. It controlled access to the town, took tolls and was defensible.

In my youth road traffic passed over it every day, with, if I recall correctly, a red double decker bus getting stuck in 1982. It was pedestrianised only in 2004.
Monnow Bridge, Monmouth
Image

© Copyright Jeremy Bolwell and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by Gibbo2286 »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 22 Apr 2023, 17:38
Gibbo2286 wrote: 22 Apr 2023, 08:46 This one is going to cause a lot of grief in the summer, closing for resurfacing with a very long, 14 miles, detour.
Just realised Monmouths other bridge doesn't go over the Wye!

Monnow Bridge, Monmouth
The Monnow Bridge is the only surviving medieval fortified or gate-towered river bridge in Great Britain with its gate tower still standing in place. It is a scheduled ancient monument and a Grade I listed building.

The gate tower was added to the earlier stone bridge in the late 13th or early 14th century. It controlled access to the town, took tolls and was defensible.

In my youth road traffic passed over it every day, with, if I recall correctly, a red double decker bus getting stuck in 1982. It was pedestrianised only in 2004.
Monnow Bridge, Monmouth
Image

© Copyright Jeremy Bolwell and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
I've driven through that arch back in the distant past Neil, 1955 when our army workshop returned from Egypt we picked our trucks up at Barry Docks and drove from there to South Benfleet in Essex.
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Guess which much maligned British car, is the only one I can find driving over Monnow Bridge...

https://imageattic.files.wordpress.com/ ... idge-1.jpg

Spoke too soon Geograph has this, click the pic to enlarge

Pont Mynwy / Monnow Bridge
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

A North Northumberland Viaduct which few people realise is there, and not on a nice "railway trail" although it easily could have been with a bit of forethought rather than ploughing up the former route wherever it could feasibly be done. Tweedmouth to Kelso would have been an excellent trail.
https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/twizel-viaduct/
Twizel Viaduct was built between 1846 and 1849 by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway, to carry the Tweedmouth to Kelso railway branch line over the River Till at Twizell in Northumberland. The bridge, also known as St Cuthbert's Viaduct, has six arches, and measures 136 yards between its abutments. The first train crossed the viaduct on the 27th July, 1849. The last passenger service on the line ran in June 1964 and the last goods train in March 1965.[1] After the railway closed the track was removed and some of the line now forms a footpath. In 2005 the County Council re-opened the viaduct as a cross-river footpath.[2] The viaduct is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.
In spite of exploring many of the nooks and crannies of Northumberland and Durham, today was the first time I took the trouble to go and see Twizell Viaduct for myself.

The originals 24.05.2023
Falcon Originals
Falcon Originals
Impressive solid stonework
Impressive solid stonework
The Top
The Top
View from the top
View from the top
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by CitroJim »

Nice one Neil :D
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by myglaren »

A different view of the Tees Transporter bridge
346787338_203216072513198_4724805589546695793_n.jpg
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

With the help of http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/index.shtml a good deal of deciphering of the codes remaining painted on most of the disused former railway bridges can be deciphered.

This Bridge has the code BDC 96. It will be the 96th identified Asset from the initiation of BDC at Hexham

BDC is the former Border Counties Line Running from Hexham to Riccarton Junction up the North Tyne Valley with part of it submerged under Kielder Water.
Falcon Original<br />The code
Falcon Original
The code
Falcon Original,  <br />Never seen Broom in such a profusion of colour<br />on that bankside trough the bridge
Falcon Original,
Never seen Broom in such a profusion of colour
on that bankside trough the bridge
Falcon Original<br />Blooming Broom!
Falcon Original
Blooming Broom!
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Undoubtedly my finest bridge picture so far

I reckon never mind the 1% club, I would estimate that less than 10,000 in 65 million will know the answer to this question without looking it up, but I do hope a few will look it up.

What is the name of the river flowing under this bridge :?: The photograph was taken in Haddington, East Lothian.
Click to enlarge<br />Falcon Original
Click to enlarge
Falcon Original
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by CitroJim »

Last evening, in the heat, we ran the Cattle Creep 10K - so named as the run course, across parkland in the Ouse Valley just north of Milton Keynes, goes through a cattle creep tunnel under the Grand Union Canal - it's very narrow, wet and is short on headroom... Three events per year feature this cattle creep, the early-season 10 Mile Cattle Creep - A Little Further, last evening's 10K and at Halloween, the Cattle Creepy where we run it in the dark dressed up as scary creatures :-D
20230615_192614.jpg
This cattle creep is almost adjacent to the Iron Trunk aqueduct where the canal crosses the River Great Ouse at high level...

No photo of it as too busy running last evening... I will try to rectify that soon but there's loads in Google Images...
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Re: A Bridge Too Far...

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Now this one is a bit of challenge and relies on a bit of co-operation.

1. On the south side is a level crossing with barriers at Prudhoe station which backs up traffic exiting the bridge from the North bank and backs up traffic on the south bank approach.
2. The bridge has no controlling traffic lights, and no priority for vehicles travelling from the north or the south. Relies on courtesy, and taking turns.
3. The bridge is one car width, with a bit of an inadequate passing bulge at one point as in the photograph.

I was a passenger today, expertly negotiated so I was free to snap the shutter!
Falcon Original<br />Prudhoe Station Level Crossing<br />South Side Ovingham Bridge
Falcon Original
Prudhoe Station Level Crossing
South Side Ovingham Bridge
Falcon Original<br />Ovingham Bridge<br />One Car wide<br />Inadequate Passing Bulge ahead.
Falcon Original
Ovingham Bridge
One Car wide
Inadequate Passing Bulge ahead.
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