Wearmouth Bridge - Sunderland, UK - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

Sunderland grew as a town around its port at the mouth of the River Wear. However expansion was restricted because the nearest bridge over the river was approximately 9 miles away in Chester-Le-Street.

Building a bridge here was difficult due to the width of the river and the need for tall masted sailing ships to pass underneath.

After the invention of cast iron a single arch cast iron toll bridge was built at this location in 1769.

Between 1857 and 1859 the bridge was rebuilt by the famous engineer Robert Stephenson and the roadway was levelled by raising the abutments. The tolls were abolished 1n 1885.

The Current Bridge

To accommodate the growing volume of traffic, construction began on the current bridge in 1927. It was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson and fabricated by the famous bridge building firm of Sir William Arrol & Co. at their Dalmarnock Ironworks in Glasgow (they also built the famous Forth Rail Bridge and the steel structure of Tower Bridge in London). The new bridge was built around the old one to allow the road to remain open. It was opened on 31 October 1929 by the Duke of York (who would later become King George VI).

The cost of the bridge amounted to £231,943 of which £12,000 was spent on dismantling the old bridge.

The adjoining Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge was built in 1879, and extended the railway south from Monkwearmouth to the centre of Sunderland.

The bridge carries the A183 road between Chester-le-Street and South Shields and the A1018 which was the old route of the A19 until the bypass was built leading to the Tyne Tunnel. It is a Grade II listed building." link

In the middle of the bridge a representation of the unofficial coat of arms of Sunderland of the time is included in the superstructure of the bridge. The motto is Nil desperandum Auspice Deo ("When God is on our side there is no cause for despair." or "Do not despair, have faith in God" or "Don’t despair, in God we trust") as a motto since 1849. It is taken from the Odes of Horace, Book 1, Ode 7, line 27.

A blue plaque at the end of the bridge has the following information.

City of Sunderland

WEARMOUTH BRIDGE

The first Wearmouth Bridge
of 1796 proved to be a catalyst
for the growth of Sunderland.
It was rebuilt in 1857 by
Robert Stephenson.
and again in 1927 when
this steel arch bridge
was constructed.

1996 - Bicentenary of the iron bridge

Length of bridge: 374 ft What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Motor Vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: The River Wear Date constructed: 1929 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: Shared by the A183 and A1018 Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear Height of bridge: Not listed

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