A hidden treasure on Tyne

The most famous Bridge on Tyneside is the New Tyne Bridge at Newcastle built by the Dorman Long Company who also built the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the same 'bow string' design. These world famous bridges have a little known yet elegant predecessor just west of Wylam on Tyne that was built as long ago as 1876, some 52 years in advance of the Newcastle bridge. This 'prototype' bridge, built for the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, is 240 feet long and was designed by W.G.Laws who was later appointed City Engineer for Newcastle. The rail route from here to Newcastle via Newburn and Scotswood is now closed and the bridge is now a walkway. The railway south of the river is still in service and although the Bridge is hard to spot from the road, this fine view can be seen from the train. Photo by Mike Tilley.

1876 was a good year for crossing the Tyne, because it was in this same year that William Armstrong completed his remarkable Swing Bridge at Newcastle on the site of Roman Bridge built on the orders of Emporer Hadrian. Pictured below is Carmichael's illustration of the Georgian Tyne Bridge about 1835 and Tom Yellowly's recent photograph of the Swing Bridge from the same location.

In this one picture you can see nine Centuries of urban progress in the City of Newcastle.

'Newcastle - a changing City' is an ongoing project of new photographs from the locations of antique illlustrations that will be on show at Newcastle Arts Centre in 2007.

© All rights reserved 2006 Newcastle Arts Centre


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