Tyne Swing Bridge, Newcastle

The Tyne Swing Bridge is one of seven bridges that dominate the River Tyne. It links the city of Newcastle with Gateshead on the southern banks of the river.

Its lantern sits on top of the central control kiosk but is no longer operational.

The River Tyne is the confluence of the North Tyne and South Tyne Rivers. The North Tyne originates near the Scottish border at Kielder Forest, and the South Tyne starts near Alston in Cumbria. They meet at Warden Rock near Hexham, forming the mighty River Tyne. From here, it flows out to sea at Tynemouth, passing the North Shields lighthouses, forming a natural harbour. Tynemouth also has some impressive lighthouses.

Three of Newcastle’s bridges span the Tyne closely together. The symbolic Tyne Bridge, the easternmost of the trio, has a distinctive steel arch design and was opened in 1928. It carries road traffic with pedestrian walkways on either side, giving great views of the city and the River Tyne.

The furthest west of the three is the High Level Bridge, opened in 1849 and designed by Robert Stephenson. This double-deck structure, made of wrought iron and stone, carries the road on one level and the railway above.

In the middle, dwarfed by the other two, is the Tyne Swing Bridge, built in 1876. It was built as part of a plan to improve navigation and expand trade for larger vessels needing to reach the upper reaches. It swings to 90 degrees. At 171 metres in length, it was the world’s largest swing bridge at the time.

The current Swing Bridge is the fourth to be built on the same site over the Tyne. The first was built around 120AD by Hadrian, the Roman Emperor. It was destroyed by fire in 1248 and replaced by a stone bridge in 1320. Part of the second bridge was destroyed during a flood in 1771. The third bridge was built in 1781 and finally replaced by the current one.

The new bridge was designed by John Ure, and the contractor was Sir William Armstrong, with Armstrong assisting in the design. Construction began in September 1868 and was opened to road traffic on 15th June 1876. It opened to river traffic the following month, with the Europa being the first vessel to pass through.

The Newcastle Swing Bridge still uses the hydraulic engines designed by Armstrong, although the original steam pumps were replaced by electric pumps in 1959.

The Port of Tyne Authority is responsible for the operation of the bridge.