Swing Bridge
Swing Bridge
The Swing Bridge was built by the River Tyne Commission, under powers conferred by the Tyne Improvement Act of 1861, as part of their overall plan to improve navigation and expand trade by opening the upper reaches of the river to larger vessels. Work on the bridge began in 1873 and it was designed and constructed by Sir W.G. Armstrong and Company Limited of Elswick. It was first used for road traffic on the 15th June 1876 and opened for river traffic on the 17th July 1876. The Swing Bridge is the fourth bridge to have been built on the same site over the Tyne at Newcastle. The first, constructed of wood and stone in c120 A.D. by the Emperor Hadrian, was known as Pons Aelii, Aelius being the patronymic of the Emperor. This bridge stood until 1248 when it was destroyed by a fire, that also destroyed a great part of the town.
A Blakey
Image size: 5964 x 3378, 9.7Mb | Camera details: NIKON D5300 | Date uploaded: 03/08/2018