Union Chain Bridge

The Union Chain Bridge or Union Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the River Tweed between Horncliffe, Northumberland, England and Fishwick, Berwickshire, Scotland. It is four miles (6.4 km) upstream of Berwick-upon-Tweed.[1] When it opened in 1820 it was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world with a span of 449 feet (137 m), and the first vehicular bridge of its type in the United Kingdom. Although work started on the Menai Suspension Bridge first, the Union Bridge was completed first. The suspension bridge, which is a Category A listed building in Scotland,[2] is now the oldest to be still carrying road traffic.

Union Bridge
The bridge from the north on the Scottish bank
Coordinates55.7525°N 2.107°W / 55.7525; -2.107
CrossesRiver Tweed
Characteristics
MaterialWrought iron (original)
sandstone ashlar
steel (modern upgrade)
No. of spans1
Design life1871: bridge deck replaced
1902: additional cables added
1974: bridge refurbished
2020:complete restoration
History
DesignerCaptain Samuel Brown
Construction start1819
Opened26 July 1820 (1820-07-26)
Location

The bridge is also a Grade I listed building in England[3] and an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.[4] It lies on Sustrans Route 1 and the Pennine Cycleway.

History
A painting of Union Chain Bridge by Alexander Nasmyth c. 1820

Before the opening of the Union Bridge, crossing the river at this point involved an 11-mile (18 km) round trip via Berwick downstream or a 20-mile (32 km) trip via Coldstream upstream. (Ladykirk and Norham Bridge did not open until 1888.) The Tweed was forded in the vicinity of the bridge site, but the route was impassable during periods of high water. The Berwick and North Durham Turnpike Trust took on responsibility for improving matters by issuing a specification for a bridge.[5]

Construction
The sandstone pier on the Scottish side of the River Tweed

The bridge was designed by an Royal Navy officer, Captain Samuel Brown. Brown joined the Navy in 1795, and seeing the need for an improvement on the hemp ropes used, which frequently failed with resulting loss to shipping, he employed blacksmiths to create experimental wrought iron chains.[6] HMS Penelope was fitted with iron rigging in 1806, and in a test voyage proved successful enough that in 1808, with his cousin Samuel Lenox, he set up a company that would become Brown Lenox & Co.[6] Brown left the Navy in 1812, and in 1813 he built a prototype suspension bridge of 105 feet (32 m) span, using 296 stone (1,880 kg) of iron. It was sufficiently strong to support a carriage, and John Rennie and Thomas Telford reported favourably upon it.[7][8]

Brown took out a patent in 1816 for a method of manufacturing chains, followed by a patent titled Construction of a Bridge by the Formation and Uniting of its Component Parts in July 1817.[6][8][9] In around 1817, Brown proposed a 1,000 feet (300 m) span bridge over the River Mersey at Runcorn, but this bridge was not built.[8] It is not known why Brown became involved with the Union Bridge project, but agreed to take on the work based on a specification dated September 1818.[6]

Brown knew little of masonry, and Rennie did this aspect of the work.[8]

The bridge proposal received consent in July 1819, with the authority of an Act of Parliament that had been passed in 1802, and construction began on 2 August 1819.[6]

The bridge, which has its western end in Scotland and its eastern end in England, was built with a single span of 449 feet (137 m).[10] There is a sandstone pier on the Scottish side while the English side has a sandstone tower built into the side of the river bluffs that supports the bridges chains. It is this configuration as to why the Scottish side has a straight approach road but across the river, the road turns sharply south due to the river bank's steep sides.[11]

It opened on 26 July 1820, with an opening ceremony attended by the celebrated Scottish civil engineer Robert Stevenson among others. Captain Brown tested the bridge in a curricle towing twelve carts before a crowd of about 700 spectators crossed. Until 1885, tolls were charged for crossing the bridge; the toll cottage on the English side was demolished in 1955.

Usage
The bridge piers are adorned with an entwined rose and thistle coat of arms with the motto Vis Unita Fortior (Latin: "United, Strength is Yet Stronger")

With the abolition of turnpike tolls in 1883, maintenance of the bridge passed to the Tweed Bridges Trust. When the Trust was wound up the bridge became the responsibility of Scottish Borders Council and Northumberland County Council and is now maintained by the latter.[5]

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.

Maintenance and restoration
As a safety precaution, some of the 200-year-old chain links have required temporary hangers.

The bridge was closed to motor vehicles for several months during 2007 due to one of the bridge hangers breaking.[12] In December 2008 the bridge was closed to traffic as a result of a landslide.[13]

In March 2013 there was a proposal to close the bridge because there was a lack of funds to maintain it.[14] In 2013, the bridge was placed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.[15] In October 2014, local enthusiasts and activists started a campaign to have the bridge fully restored in time for its bicentenary in 2020.[16]

In March 2017 Scottish Borders Council and Northumberland County Council agreed to contribute £550,000 each towards a restoration project that was then expected to cost £5 million.[17] Between then and August 2020 further pledges were made by both councils,[15] the National Lottery Heritage Fund[18] and Historic England.[19] The work started in October 2020 and was expected to cost £10.5 million and take around 18 months.[20] The chains were cut in March 2021 and the restored bridge was due to re-open in early 2022.[21] In August 2022, the bridge was reported as being "almost complete"[22] and it was reopened on 17 April 2023.[23] Shortly after its restoration, in July 2023, the bridge was designated as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.[24][25]

References
  1. "The Union Chain Bridge". Museums Northumberland. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  2. Historic Environment Scotland. "Union Suspension Bridge (that part in Scotland) (Category A Listed Building) (LB13645)". Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. Historic England. "Union Suspension Bridge (that part in England) (1042214)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  4. Johnson, Phil (25 July 2020). "Union Chain Bridge gets international badge of honour to mark bicentenary". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  5. "History – Friends of the Union Chain Bridge".
  6. Miller, Gordon (2006). "Union Chain Bridge: linking engineering". Proceedings of the ICE - Civil Engineering. 159 (2): 88–95. doi:10.1680/cien.2006.159.2.88. ISSN 0965-089X.
  7. Drewry, Charles Stewart (2014). A Memoir on Suspension Bridges. Cambridge University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-108-07053-9.
  8. Skempton, A. W. (2002). A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: 1500-1830. Thomas Telford. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7277-2939-2.
  9. The Literary Panorama, and National Register. Vol. 7. 1818. p. 521.
  10. A Memoir of Suspension Bridges. Longmans, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman. 1832. pp. 37–41.
  11. Google (20 July 2016). "Union Bridge" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  12. "Union Chain Bridge River Tweed: Union Chain Bridge River Tweed Proposed Conservation & Structural Repairs Heritage, Design & Access Statement for replacement deck surface material" (PDF). Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  13. "Bridge is closed due to landslide". BBC News. 6 December 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  14. "Union Bridge on Border crossing set to close - Scotland - Scotsman.com". The Scotsman. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  15. "Union Chain Bridge work secures increased funding support". BBC News Online. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  16. "Bid to save Union Chain Bridge for bicentenary - The Scotsman".
  17. "Union Chain Bridge's £5m restoration". 8 March 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  18. "Union Chain Bridge receives £3.14m National Lottery funding". 18 September 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  19. "Union Chain Bridge repair work gets £250k boost". 11 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  20. "Work begins on Union Chain Bridge restoration". 20 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  21. "Union Chain Bridge: Scotland-England link removed for overhaul". BBC News. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  22. "Union Chain Bridge repair enters final stage". 5 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  23. Rinaldi, Giancarlo (17 April 2023). "Union Chain Bridge linking Scotland and England reopens". BBC News.
  24. "Union Bridge". American Society of Civil Engineers. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  25. "Union Chain Bridge recognised as international landmark". BBC News. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
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