The Daily Tyne
Date 17 June 2008
Volume 1
Tyneside industrial tradition and its history
of engineering and innovation.
Spanning the Tyne
It was back in the late 19th century that the
city fathers started talking about building a
new Tyne Bridge to ease traffic congestion
and provide a splendid new river crossing.
Although the tyne bridge is the most
famous of the six bridges that cross
between Newcastle and Gateshead, it was
only finished in1928 (when it was the
largest single span in the world). The
Swing Bridge (built by Armstrong and
opened in 1876) crosses at about the same
point as the Roman and Medieval Bridges.
The hydraulically-operated swivel
mechanism allowed taller fixed-mast
vessels to reach further upstream than
hitherto.
Tyne Bridge
But it wasn’t until 1924 that plans to build
today's bridge started to take shape.
Work began in August 1925 and it took
just three years to complete the giant
structure.
The bridge was built like a ship, using
shipbuilding techniques with rivets and
panels which were welded together.
As the bridge arches started to appear, it
was clear that this was a grand feat of
engineering prowess.
It's the bridge that Geordies come home
for. The Tyne Bridge celebrates its 75th
anniversary this year. We turn back time
and recall the building of this famous
Tyneside icon.
The Tyne Bridge is one of the greatest
symbols of Tyneside’s industrial pride and
engineering prowess.
Built in 1928, the Tyne Bridge was a
major engineering triumph in its day and
remains a miracle of modern design 75
years on.
Built from steel and granite, the bridge has
come to symbolise all that is best about the
The Tyne Bridge starts to take shape in 1928
'Spidermen' on the bridge
The bridge builders risked their lives high
above the waters of the Tyne, scaling
heights and structures with the agility of
Spiderman.
Perched over 80 feet above the river, the
men worked without the benefit of safety
harnesses and ropes. Their agility and
ability to work at great heights was second
to none.
She recalls how he walked along the
skeletal frame of the bridge without any
fear of the height or falling if he made one
false move.
Health and safety issues weren't high on
the agenda.
"I think it was very, very scary because
they had no harnesses and they just used to
walk along the big steel cables and
everything," says Julie.
Despite the dangers of the building work,
only one worker died in what was to prove
a mammoth task.
Nathaniel Collins was a scaffold erector, a
very dangerous job. He fell a hundred feet
from the bridge and hit the water,
fracturing his skull.
His family remembers that he had worked
as a ship's plater and then served in the
First World War. "He was a man who
knew no fear."
The bridge was built by an army of riveters
Newcastle versus Sydney
There's been much talk about who was
first to complete this engineering feat with
both Newcastle and Sydney vying for the
honour of having 'the first Tyne Bridge'.
In reality Sydney was first to start work on
its bridge and provided the template for the
Tyne Bridge.
The bridge was a single span structure so it did not
obstruct river traffic
Tall Tales
As far as we know none of the men who
built the bridge are alive today but we do
have the testament of their relatives.
Julie Fox's grandfather and father built the
bridge - they called her dad 'Spider
Wilson'.
The Tyne Bridge was designed by Mott,
Hay and Anderson who based their design
on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
This in turn was derived its design from
the Hell Gate Bridge in New York.
It’s long been thought that the Sydney
Harbour Bridge in Australia was based on
the Tyne Bridge.
This is not the case and a quick look at the
dates proves the case.
Work started on the Sydney Bridge before
building began on the Tyne Bridge.
The confusion arises because the Sydney
Harbour Bridge took longer to complete
due to its larger size.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge finally
opened in 1932, three years after the Tyne
Bridge.
FACT FILE
The total cost of the bridge was
£1,200,000.
Built by Dorman Long of Middlesbrough.
The road deck is 84 feet above the water.
The road deck is 84 feet above the water.
The bridge has a 531 feet span.
The weight of the bridge is 7,112 metric
tonnes.
The Tyne Bridge’s towers were built of
Cornish granite and were designed as
warehouses with five storeys.
Passenger and goods lifts were built in the
towers to provide access to the Quayside.
These are still in use today.
Buildings demolished to make way for the
bridge the Goat Inn, the Earl of Durham, the
Ridley Arms, the Steamboat Inn, Ray's
lodging house, a powder mill, a pickle
factory and a bank.
The bridge was originally painted green
with special paint made by J. Dampney
Co. of Gateshead. The same colours were
used to paint the bridge for its Millennium
year.
Celebrating the Tyne Bridge
The bridge was completed and opened in
1928 by King George V and the Queen
who were the first to use the roadway
travelling in their Ascot landau.
Hundreds of people lined the quaysides to
see the new modern marvel of the age and
to cheer the royal opening party.
It was a day that was remembered for a
very long time by those lucky enough to
be there.
Today's bridge
Today the Tyne Bridge is renowned
around the world, and rivals its counterpart
- the Sydney Harbour Bridge - as one of
the great bridges of the world.
It's even been celebrated in miniature form
by the artist Chris Burden who designed an
exact replica for the opening exhibition at
the BALTIC in Gateshead in 2002.
It's a measure of the Tyne Bridge's lasting
legacy that it still elicits so much passion,
pride and power amongst Geordies and
outsiders alike.
Happy
birthday Tyne
Bridge!
Workers on the
top span of the
Tyne Bridge