Tag Archives: #AtoZChallenge
Old about now
The trouble with defining old things is finding out how old they actually are, which given the lack of reliable historical primary sources means a lot of guesswork. Take the Old Dee Bridge, the oldest surviving crossing in the walled city of Chester. The stone bridge is probably the one ordered by the Black Prince […]
Nash, Newport and … a gondola.
John Nash was a architect and during the Georgian and Regency periods he designed many buildings in London. He also had spell living in Carmarthen, Wales. At that time, Newport, a city in South Wales on the River Usk, wanted to replace its timber bridge with a stone one. Nash submitted plans in 1791, which […]
Medieval Monnow
Bridges have a crucial role to play in conflict. They are important for supply networks and the movement of armies. But what about their defensive role? Many a bridge has been deliberately destroyed to prevent an enemy crossing a strategic river. Yet many bridges have survived wars, and some had fortifications incorporated into their structures. […]
Joining up Junctions
How do you cross 2 railway lines, 3 canals and 2 rivers? Obviously not with one bridge. But this was the dilemma facing road builders in the 1950s and 1960s, especially the construction of new motorways in highly urbanised areas of major cities. There is estimated to be about 9000 bridges on the network of […]
To Infinity and … from Ironbridge
The primary purpose of a bridge is transportation and it remains so even if what is being transported is varied and the obstacle to span is either natural or man made. At beginning of the industrial revolution, moving raw materials and completed goods was challenging, especially if the centres of industry were in remote locations […]
The Devil’s Bridges
Why would anyone name a bridge the Devil’s? The Devil’s Bridge near Kirby Lonsdale spans the River Lune on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Built around 1370 it is steeped in the Medieval folktales of the time. According to the legend, a local woman could not cross the river to retrieve her cow. The […]
Crossing the Chasm
Bridges can be beautiful, especially those that span rivers, creating reflections and vistas for travellers to admire. The most spectacular bridges, in my opinion, are those that cross chasms and gorges, like the Clifton Suspension Bridge. The River Avon cuts through limestone to form this amazing gorge that lies west of the city of Bristol. […]
The Ancient Crossings
It’s the beginning of a new A to Z blogging challenge and my ninth year of participating. This year will also honour the late Jeremy Hawkins who designed the graphic art used by participating bloggers all round the world. Each day throughout April I will be posting on my theme: the history of British bridges. […]
A to Z Blogging Challenge – Theme Reveal!
Where would we be in this world if it wasn’t for bridges? They connect people and places, and at a time like now, we need those connections to be strong and resilient. Bridges survive for centuries, a testimony to early engineers who built them, and they bring together people across divides. My theme will explore […]
The three York museums
There are three museums in the city of York: The Yorkshire Museum, York Castle Museum and the Yorvik Centre, and to some extent they represent the past, present and the possible future of museums. The Yorkshire Museum is old and was founded in 1830 by Yorkshire Philosophical Society to house their collection of geological and […]
The Quiet Writer 