Corporation Bridge
| Corporation Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 53°34′15″N 0°04′58″W / 53.57075°N 0.08276°WCoordinates: 53°34′15″N 0°04′58″W / 53.57075°N 0.08276°W |
| Carries | Motor vehicles, pedestrians |
| Crosses | Dock |
| Locale | Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire |
| Maintained by | North East Lincolnshire Council |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Single-leaf bascule, Scherzer rolling lift type |
| Total length | 150 metres |
| Width | 12 metres |
| History | |
| Opened |
Original bridge 1873 Current bridge 1928 |
The Corporation Bridge in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England, is a bascule-type lifting bridge in the town's former fish docks. Road vehicles can pass freely over the bridge and it is part of one of Grimsby's busiest traffic spots, leading to a major junction at Freeport Wharfe and Victoria Street.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Original bridge
The bridge was originally a swing bridge opened in 1873. At that time, it faced the Central Market and the Clock Tower. For a short time, following an incident in which a winch stripped a number of cogs from the bridge's machinery, it was opened by a tugboat. Later, in its life it was opened by manpower.
An Act of Parliament required that the bridge was opened at least once a year and on request of shipping.
Present bridge
The bridge spans Alexandra Dock near Victoria Mills, Victoria Street and replaced a swing bridge.
It is an electrically powered Sherzer rolling lift bascule road bridge, built at a cost of almost £60,000 in 1925 by Alfred C Gardner, Docks Engineer to the London and North Eastern Railway; Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow, contractors, for Grimsby Corporation, it was opened by the Prince of Wales three years later. The bridge was restored by Great Grimsby Borough Council c. 1980.
A cast-iron and steel bridge with timber-clad Bridge House, brick and ashlar abutments, it has 4 spans resting on short cylindrical piers, those flanking the lifting bascule over the main channel having timber buffers. The bridge has lattice girder parapets which are ramped-up to the lifting section. Ornate cast-iron piers above the abutments, each with plinth, moulded cornice and lamp standards each carry 5 lights. The plinths bear plaques on 2 sides, the north-east plinth with a commemorative inscription recording details of construction and the opening of the bridge by HRH the Prince of Wales on 19 July 1925; the other plinths have plaques bearing polychrome painted reliefs of the Grimsby Corporation Arms.
Makers names on girders include: Skinningrove, Frodingham Iron and Steel Co., Dalzell Steel GK. The Bridge House has wrap-around window with glazing bars, hipped roof with ridge louvre.
When rolling back on the track, the bridge is almost perfectly balanced. The decking of the lifting span is primarily wood on a latticework of steel beams with a skid resistant and waterproof surface of an epoxy resin material. Gates at each end of the lifting span, close automatically as the bridge is raised to close the span to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The last Bridgemaster was one Jack Tartellian and the log of openings runs to 1970 when the bridge was no longer needed to be opened frequently, as the wood yards (now Sainsbury's Supermarket and the Heritage Centre) were closed.
It requires eight men to drive the capstan mechanism to raise the bridge (two spells of 4 on a shift).
The bridge is briefly seen in the opening scenes of the video to pop duo Erasure's song "The Circus".
The dedication plaque giving details of its construction and opening is shown (pictured right).
References
- ↑ "Corporation Bridge in Grimsby raised for work". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ↑ "A BRIEF HISTORY OF GRIMSBY". localhistories.org. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ↑ "Corporation Bridge, Grimsby". flickr.com. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ↑ "Corporation Bridge, Grimsby". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
External links
Media related to Corporation Bridge, Grimsby at Wikimedia Commons