The sight of the Quayside and its bridges is perhaps the most famous view in the North East.
The seven famous bridges which connect Gateshead and Newcastle to create the iconic skyline include the Millennium Bridge, Swing Bridge, Tyne Bridge, High Level Bridge, Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, the King Edward the VII and the Redheugh Bridge. Of course the Scotswood Bridge is just a few miles upstream.
Some of the bridges have a rich history dating back as far as Roman times- built on the order of Emperor Hadrian himself. Many of them have significant places in engineering history due to their pioneering designs.
Out of all of them, the Tyne Bridge is the most well-known. Built in the 20s, it was officially opened in 1929 by King George V. Famously, it shares the same design as the larger Sydney Harbour Bridge which was built by the same firm in Middlesbrough.
The oldest, however, is the High Level Bridge which was erected in 1848 and boasts the best view of the Tyne.
Want to find out more? Below we have nine interesting facts about the history, construction and operation of Newcastle and Gateshead’s bridges.
How many did you already know?
5. Two Roman altars were discovered when building the Swing Bridge
During construction, two Roman altars were dredged from the river that were dedicated to the gods Neptune and Oceanus. They would have belonged to a shrine to protect the Roman bridge of Pons Aelius from the tides. | OLI SCARFF Photo: OLI SCARFF
6. A heatwave had the ability to close the Swing Bridge
Controlled by two hydraulic engines, a heat wave could close the bridge when the metal expanded and ‘welded’ it to the mountings. When this happened, the fire brigade would have to douse it with water. A solution wasn’t found until the 1960s when it was realised they could use a light paint to reflect the heat. | NL Photo: Newcastle Libraries
7. The Millennium Bridge cleans its own litter
The Quayside’s newest bridge, built in 2001, the Millennium Bridge cleans up its own litter- anything dropped on the deck automatically rolls into special traps at each end of the bridge each time it opens. Photo: Photo: Pixabay
8. An arch of the old Tyne Bridge still exists
The arch still stands in Sandhill, Gateshead, over which the Swing Bridge was built in 1876. | NL Photo: Newcastle Libraries