Armstrong Bridge

Armstrong Bridge was built between 1876 and 1878, opening on 30th April 1878 to replace the crossing of the Ouseburn via Benton Bank. The greater part of its cost was met by Lord (then Sir William) Armstrong, and he and his works at Elswick were responsible for its design and the construction of the ironwork. The bridge has 8 wrought iron girder spans, supported by 7 pairs of wrought iron columns with sandstone piers and abutments. Its unique feature is its use of rocker and sliding bearings, and separate girder support to compensate for possible mining subsidence and thermal distortion. It stands 65 feet (20 metres) above Jesmond Dene and has a total length of 552 feet (168 metres). Repairs were undertaken in the early 1980s and 1993/4, including replacement of the columns with steel replicas. LISTED GRADE 2