In 1906, construction of the King Edward VII Bridge, some 500 yards to the west of the High Level Bridge, was completed. The river was shallow at this point, and the bridge would have been at a low level, only twenty feet above high water. In 1841 Benjamin Green had proposed a high level bridge for road traffic, substantially on the alignment of the actual High Level Bridge; and sensing the commercial climate he explained how it could be adapted for railway use. A prospectus of a High Level Bridge Company was issued in 1843; George Stephenson and George Hudson were members of the committee of management and Robert Stephenson was the consulting engineer. The design incorporates tied arches. John and Benjamin Green were a father and son architectural practice active in Newcastle. A profusion of banners were displayed on this elegant and substantial structure, and from nearly all the public and many of the private buildings both in Newcastle and Gateshead. Newcastle upon Tyne England - Oct 2018: High Level Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne on a foggy winter morning, Hilton hotel in. It is considered the most notable historical engineering work in the city. 57 Newcastle - Wardley via Gateshead, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Beacon Lough Estate, Leam Lane Estate, Heworth Go North East; The drop weight was 1 tons and its stroke was 2 ft 9in; one was purchased from Nasmyth. High-quality High Level Bridge Newcastle Upon Tyne Macbook Air, Macbook Pro Retina, PC and Surface laptop skins, designed and sold by independent artists. It then slowly proceeded to the centre of the colossal fabric, amidst bursts of loud and rapturous cheering from the assembled thousands, her Majesty repeatedly acknowledging these marked demonstrations of loyalty and affection from her faithful and attached subjects. A temporary timber viaduct on the east side was ready on 20 August 1848. In 1922 the trams were to start crossing the bridge, and the cast iron longitudinal members supporting the roadway were replaced with steel beams and a new deck was provided. Bus operators. Other operators. 150 Years Across the Tyne, TheHigh Level Bridge, Newcastle: its evolution, design and construction, High Level Bridge: engineering successful heritage solutions, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering History and Heritage. The bridge re-opened on 2 June 2008[20] as severe cracks were found in some of its iron girders. [16], The bridge and its immediate approaches had cost 243,000.[6]. The bridge sits on five masonry piers, 50ft (15m) thick and 16ft (5m) wide. The Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway opened its line from the south to Pelaw, allowing its trains to reach Gateshead over the Brandling Junction line, in 1844. To carry out work to ensure its long-term future the bridge was closed to road traffic in February 2005. It was officially opened on 27 September 1849 . Queen Victoria formally inaugurated the bridge on passing through by train on 28 September 1849.The Queen at Newcastle: Her Majesty yesterday honoured this ancient borough with her presence. The original roadway over the bridge required the manufacture of 200,000 specially shaped wooden blocks. At flood-tide the sand became so hard as almost totally to resist the utmost efforts of driving, while at ebb the sand was quite loose, and allowed of doing so with facility. Its stability was sufficiently tested on Monday, when Captain Leffan (sic), the Government Inspector of Railways, examined it preparatory to the opening. https://doi.org/10.1680/ehah.2009.162.3.127. The bridge was to be designed by Robert Stephenson; T E Harrison did the detailed design work. Hitherto railways in the region had had a local focus, but now the Great North of England Railway (GNER) obtained authorising Acts to build from Newcastle to York, forming part of a continuous trunk railway network to connect to London; the project was controlled by George Hudson, the so-called Railway King. The arch ribs were erected in section by travelling crane; each arch was temporarily erected at the contractors works. In March 2006 the bridge's footpath, which was to have been kept open during the restoration project, was closed at the request of Network Rail due to vandalism and the increasing scale of required works. Where the road deck met the land on the northern side of the river was inside the castle precinct, a complex multi-period archaeological site. The Mayors of Newcastle and Gateshead presented a formal address. the south abutment of the High Level Bridge and the river pier on the south side, the cast iron arch and road-way are nearly completed, and the second arch will be in progress in the course of a few weeks. The height of this viaduct is one hundred and twenty feet to the level of the rails; it is built upon piles, which are driven between thirty and forty feet into the bed of the river. The total cost of the contracts at 1999 prices would be over 30million.[13]. The arch ribs were erected in section by travelling crane; each arch was temporarily erected at the contractors works. In and Around Castle Keep, Newcastle Quayside; Bridges over the Tyne, Newcastle It also meant that locomotives had to switch ends before a train could head north towards Edinburgh. The river was shallow at this point, and the bridge would have been at a low level, only 20ft (6.1m) above high water. The project is located in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, North East England, England, United Kingdom, . Shop online for tees, tops, hoodies, dresses, hats, leggings, and more. This started carrying traffic on 1 October 1906, having been formally inaugurated by the King on 10 July 1906. A profusion of banners were displayed on this elegant and substantial structure, and from nearly all the public and many of the private buildings both in Newcastle and Gateshead. The High Level Bridge is a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England. Moreover William Brandling had made known his intention to reach Newcastle from his line by running at a high level through Gateshead. Find High Level Bridge River Tyne stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. The first masonry was laid on 12 January 1847. Through express passenger trains no longer had to reverse in Newcastle station, and where no engine change was required, a significant time saving was possible.[2][6][8]. The main structural elements are tied cast iron arches. The railway traffic was suspended from about half past eight o'clock in the morning, until two in the afternoon, not from any apprehensions that the upper level was insecure, but on account of the smoke and flames, and also because of the hose which was lying across the rails. Find popular and cheap hotels near High Level Bridge in Newcastle with real guest reviews and ratings. Between 1955 and 1959, the timber deck of the rail level was replaced by steel, and ballasted track was substituted for the earlier way beam track structure, adding 150tons of dead load to each span of the bridge. The bridge re-opened on 2 June 2008 as severe cracks were found in some of its iron girders. John and Benjamin Green were a father and son architectural practice active in Newcastle. In other carriages were members of her Majestys suite and the directors of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway. (See also entries for King Edward VII Bridge and Newcastle Swing Bridge), By Rail: Approx 1 km from Newcastle Station, Addyman, John & Fawcett, Bill, The High Level Bridge and Newcastle Central Station - 150 years across the Tyne, North Eastern Railway Association, ISBN-10: 1873513283 (1999), Armstrong, Baron W. G., The Industrial Resources of the District of the Three Northern Rivers, the Tyne, Wear, and Tees: Read Before the British Association in 1863, BiblioBazaar, ISBN-10: 1143076117 (2010), Biddle, Gordon, Britain's Historic Railway Buildings, Oxford University Press, ISBN-10: 0198662475 (2003), Biddle, Gordon & Nock, O.S., The Railway Heritage of Britain : 150 years of railway architecture and engineering, Studio Editions, ISBN-10: 1851705953 (1990), Biddle, Gordon and Simmons, J., The Oxford Companion to British Railway History, Oxford, ISBN 0 19 211697 5 (1997)Bonavia, Michael, Historic Railway Sites in Britain, Hale, ISBN 0 7090 3156 4 (1987)Conolly, W. Philip, British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas And Gazetteer, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 0-7110-0320-3 (1958/97), Groundwater, Ken, Newcastle and the River Tyne: The Maritime Heritage, Silver Link Publishing, ISBN-10: 1857941055 (1998), Hoole, K. A Regional History of the Railways of Britain, North East. The ground gave considerable trouble during construction; Stephenson recorded: Many difficulties occurred in driving the piles which considerably retarded the progress of the work, and, among others, the peculiar effect of ebb and flow during this operation is worthy of note. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. Buses point south-east . It seemed from its noiselessness, rather an aerial flight, than the rattling sweep of the iron horse. In 1983 a further analysis of the capacity of the bridge led to the reduction of the weight limit to 7.5tons. There was still ambiguity about Hudson's intentions for the bridgean easier crossing point at Bill Quay, two miles downstream had been consideredand Newcastle Town Council sought undertakings from him. It stipulated that the company should construct a combined road and rail bridge across the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead, to be completed within four years. A high-level bridge was chosen to avoid the necessity of very long approach gradients (suitable for steam trains) in the heavily built-up areas on either side of the river valley. The train proceeded to the Newcastle and Berwick station, where the company alighted and walked in procession to the Queens Head Inn, where a magnificent entertainment had been provided for the Directors and their friends, by the Mayor of Newcastle. The first passenger train crossed the bridge on the 15th of August 1849, shortly before its formal opening by Queen Victoria later that month. Its height and length have made it a landmark of Newcastle and it isListedGrade 1. Select from premium High Level Bridge Newcastle Upon Tyne of the highest quality. For its research into the use of cast iron as well as the conservation techniques it employed, the project received prestigious awards, including the 2009 Grand Prize for Conservation from Europa Nostra. About 1880 a horse bus service was operated across the bridge; the fare was a halfpenny, the same as the pedestrian toll; the bus operator paid a toll of 4d. British Railway Bridges and Viaducts, ISBN 0 7110 2273 9 (1994), Forgotten Relics - Listed Bridges and Viaducts, National Transport Trust, Old Bank House, 26 Station Approach, Hinchley Wood, Esher, Surrey KT10 0SR. The Company have as yet only laid one line of rails over this structure, and I beg to recommend that permission be given to open that one line. Although the River Tyne at the point the bridge is constructed was no more than 3ft (1m) deep at low water, its bed consisted of some 30ft (9m) of silt before underlying bedrock could be reached. The fire grew and became a total conflagration, and the timber decking of the High Level Bridge caught fire. The first was placed on 10 July 1848, and the erection of the ironwork was quick. On 10 May 1937 the tolls on the road crossing were removed; Newcastle and Gateshead corporations paid the London and North Eastern Railway, now the owner of the bridge, 160,000 in commutation of the tolls. Opened on 28th September 1849 by Queen Victoria. The main contractors for the ironwork were Hawks Crawshaw and Sons of Gateshead and they were assisted by John Abbot and Co of Gateshead Park Works, and Losh Wilson and Bell of Walker Ironworks in the production of the castings. It was therefore found necessary to abandon the driving on many occasions during high water. The arch would consist of iron ribs. Structurae Version 7.0 - 1998-2022 Nicolas Janberg. The bridge and its immediate approaches had cost 243,000. Nearby sights include the Guildhall, the Newcastle Castle and All Saints Church. Newcastle upon Tyne England - 10th Newcastle upon Tyne England 30th May 2021: Wide angle view of the Quayside and River Tyne from High Level Bridge. Suspension rods supported the road deck, and both decks had two layers of diagonally laid three-inch deck timbers on suitable wrought iron cross girders (and rail-bearers in the case of the rail deck).