History of the Wearmouth Bridge

Wearmouth Bridge. Image courtesy of Niall Ritchie.

The Wearmouth Bridge is a through arch bridge that crosses the River Wear in Sunderland and is the last bridge before the River Wear’s mouth opens up into the North Sea.

The first bridge opened on this site in 1796 and since then has been reconstructed twice.

This is the transcription of the engraving on the original Wearmouth Bridge when it opened in 1796. Image courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative commons.

The first bridge 1796 – 1929.

This is an illustration of the original bridge during its first year. Image courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative  commons.

The first Wearmouth Bridge was opened in 1796. The foundation stone was laid in September 1793. This was sponsored by the MP Rowland Burdon. The bridge was designed by Thomas Paine following a similar build in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.

A Plaque on the side of the current bridge says its construction has “proved to be a catalyst for the growth of Sunderland” since it was opened.

Bridge Plaque. Image courtesy of Pimlico Badger through creative commons.

To gain access between Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth previous to the bridge being built meant you had to get a ferry from one side to the other. As the nearest bridge was at Chester-le-Street. The bridge did initially have a toll for pedestrians but this was abolished in 1846.

This document shows the amount of people using the bridge and how much they paid to cross in 1830. Image courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative commons.

Song sung about abolition of the bridge foot toll. Image courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative commons.

The Wearmouth Bridge was the second iron made bridge built after the Ironbridge that crosses the River Severn in Shropshire.  The bridge  was over twice as long as the Ironbridge with a nominal span of 240 feet, and only three-quarters the weight. At the time of the bridge being built it was the biggest single span bridge in the world at 72 m. The bridge was opened to traffic on 9 August, 1796 having cost a total of £28,000 to build.

This financial statement details the cost of the original bridge across the river and highlight the massive amount of resources that went into it. Image courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative commons.

Picture of Micheal Smith. Image and story below courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative commons.

In 1842 Micheal Smith, a American living in Sunderland, jumped off the Wearmouth Bridge for money, he amazingly survived and swam to the riverbank. The crowds who watched started giving him money as a reward and as a result of this the Police arrested him for begging.

A folk song about Micheal Smith who jumped off the Wearmouth Bridge in 1842. Image courtesy of Sunderland Public Libraries through creative commons.

1805 repair and 1857 reconstruction.

In 1805 the bridge had to be repaired due to heat from the sun causing some of the cross tubes to fall out.

In 1857 up until 1859 the bridge was reconstructed by Robert Stephenson son of George Stephenson the famous locomotive builder and railway engineer.

Statue of Robert Stephenson outside London Euston Station. Image courtesy of martin_vmorris through creative commons.

The bridge was stripped back to its six iron ribs and levelled the hump in the middle by raising the abutments. The bridge was then opened again in March 1859. The toll was then completely abolished in 1885.

The current bridge 1929 – current.

With larger volumes of traffic using the bridge construction began in 1927 to widen it. It was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson and fabricated by the famous bridge building firm Sir William Arrol & Co in Glasgow ; who also built the Tower Bridge in London as well as the Forth Rail Bridge. The new bridge was built around the old one allowing the bridge to stay open.  It was then re-opened on 31 October 1929 by the Duke of York (who would later become King George VI).

The cost of the current bridge amounted to £231,943 of which £12,000 was spent on dismantling the old bridge. This meant the building of the new Wearmouth Bridge cost £203,948 more than it did initially in 1796.

Logo of Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd on the side of a cane. Image courtesy of Diego Iaconelli through creative commons.

The adjoining railway bridge was built in 1879 on the west side of the bridge and extended the railway south from Monkwearmouth to the centre of Sunderland.

Wearmouth Bridge. Image courtesy of Dan Mullen through creative commons.

Wearmouth Bridge from the South end of the bridge. Image courtesy of Niall Ritchie.

 

Wearmouth Bridge