News

Oldest operational suspension bridge in the world reopens after £10.5m restoration

Image: The Union Chain Bridge (Northumberland County Council)

The bridge, which connects Scotland and England, has completed crucial repair works

The Union Chain Bridge, which has for 200 years connected Fishwick in Scotland to Horncliffe in England, has been reopened after the completion of extensive repair works.

To address what it called serious concerns about the condition of the structure, the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £3.14m to the total £10.5m restoration project in 2019, and Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council both committed matched funding.

Every single piece of the suspension bridge, the first in Europe to carry wheeled traffic, was removed, checked and restored before being carefully reassembled.

Image: A vintage car and school children cross the Union Chain Bridge as it reopens to traffic (Northumberland County Council)

The restoration work has combined traditional workmanship in line with the techniques used during its construction, with modern T technology similar to that installed in ski-lifts.

To mark the opening, a vintage car and pipers travelled across the bridge and the local community gathered to mark the occasion.

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at the Heritage Fund, said: “It is a ground-breaking feat of engineering and the fact that it remains such a significant landmark, and standout tourist attraction after more than 200 years, is a testament to the UK’s remarkable industrial heritage.”