Border Counties Bridge | |
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Coordinates | 54°58′56″N2°07′15″W / 54.9821°N 2.1207°W |
OS grid reference | NY923652 |
Carries | Formerly, Border Counties Railway |
Crosses | River Tyne |
Locale | Northumberland |
Owner | British Railways at the time of demolition in 1959 |
Preceded by | Hexham Bridge |
Followed by | Constantius Bridge |
Characteristics | |
Design | Beam bridge [1] |
Material | Wrought Iron [1] |
Pier construction | Cast Iron and Masonry/Concrete [1] |
No. of spans | 5 |
Piers in water | 4 [1] |
Rail characteristics | |
No. of tracks | Formerly, 1 |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
History | |
Construction end | 1856 [1] |
Opened | 1856 |
Closed | 1 September 1958 |
Location | |
Border Counties Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Closed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Heavy rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commenced | 11 December 1855 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 2 April 1858 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Completed | 24 June 1862 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Merged into | North British Railway - 1860 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Merged into | London North Eastern Railway - 1923 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Merged into | British Railways - 1948 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed |
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Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Border Counties Bridge was a 19th-century railway bridge across the River Tyne just west of Hexham, Northumberland, England. The bridge used to carry the Border Counties Railway over the River Tyne at Border Counties Junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway.
The Border Counties Railway was authorised by Parliament in 1854. [1] The bridge was part of that railway and linked the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, near Hexham, with the Border Union Railway at Riccarton Junction. The first section of the route was opened between Hexham and Chollerford in 1858, the remainder opening in 1862. [2]
The bridge was beset with problems from its construction when the temporary wooden structure erected initially to allow a crane access, was swept away by floods. The abutments at the south end had to be moved eastwards to avoid scouring of the river at its original site. Both weight and speed restrictions have always been a feature of the bridge. The bridge was reportedly damaged by floods in August 1948 and was given temporary repairs sufficient to keep the line open for a time.
The condition of the bridge was a major factor in the eventual closure of the line, the cost of repairs being considered prohibitive. Regular passenger trains ceased on 13 October 1956 although the line (and the bridge) remained open for goods traffic until 1 September 1958.
The bridge was demolished in 1959. [1] Today, the remains of the piers can still be seen in the river. [1]
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, 16 miles (26 km) west of Newcastle and 4 miles (6 km) east of Hexham. Villages nearby include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.
The A69 is a major northern trunk road in England, running east–west across the Pennines, through the counties of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Cumbria. Originally, the road started in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne then later near Birtley, but since the creation of the A1 Western Bypass around Newcastle upon Tyne, it now starts at Denton Burn, a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Haltwhistle is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, ten miles east of Brampton. It had a population of 3,811 at the 2011 Census.
Haydon Bridge is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of about 2000, the civil parish Haydon being measured at 2,184 in the Census 2011. Its most distinctive features are the two bridges crossing the River South Tyne: the picturesque original bridge for which the village was named and a modern bridge which used to carry the A69 road. A bypass was completed in 2009 and the A69 now bypasses the village to the south.
Wylam is a village and civil parish in the county of Northumberland. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Blaydon is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 5 miles 39 chains west of Newcastle, serves the town of Blaydon, Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Charlton is a village in Northumberland, England. It is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the northwest of Bellingham, on the River North Tyne.
Chollerford is a village in Northumberland, England, approximately four miles north of Hexham on the B6318, the Military Road, not far from Hadrian's Wall. There is a roundabout in the village where the B6318 and B6320 roads meet and the traffic light-controlled Chollerford Bridge crosses the River North Tyne. Beside the river is The George Hotel.
Ovingham is a civil parish and village in the Tyne Valley of south Northumberland, England. It lies on the River Tyne 10 miles (16 km) east of Hexham with neighbours Prudhoe, Ovington, Wylam and Stocksfield.
Wark on Tyne is a small village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, 12 miles (19 km) north of Hexham.
Hexham is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 22 miles 22 chains west of Newcastle, serves the market town of Hexham in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Greenhead is a village in Northumberland, England. The village is on the Military Road (B6318), about 17 miles (27 km) from Chollerford, 3 miles (5 km) from Haltwhistle and 9 miles (14 km) from Brampton, Cumbria along the A69 road. The A69 bypasses the village, but until the 1980s all vehicular traffic passed through it. The village lies just outside the Northumberland National Park, close to Hadrian's Wall. Just to the north of the village is the 12th-century Thirlwall Castle, recently restored and opened to the public. Nearby villages include Upper Denton and Haltwhistle.
Wall is a village in Northumberland, England situated to the north of Hexham close by the River North Tyne and Hadrian's Wall. The Battle of Heavenfield was fought nearby. The village has one pub and a garage.
The Border Counties Railway was a railway line connecting Hexham in Northumberland, with Riccarton Junction on the Waverley Route in Roxburghshire.
Deadwater is a small settlement in Northumberland, England, about 3 miles (5 km) north west of Kielder, Northumberland, on the English side of the border between Scotland and England. It is regarded as the source of the River North Tyne, which merges with the River South Tyne near Hexham, and continues around 93 miles/150 km to the North Sea.
The Tyne Valley Line is a 58-mile (93 km) route, linking Newcastle upon Tyne with Hexham and Carlisle. The line follows the course of the River Tyne through Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Five stations and two viaducts on the route are listed structures.
Deadwater railway station is a closed railway station situated on the border between England and Scotland at the head of the North Tyne River. The station served the settlement of Deadwater which consisted of just six houses.
The Hexham and Allendale Railway was a railway company formed in 1865 to build a branch line from the lead mining district of Allendale in Northumberland to a junction near Hexham on the Carlisle to Newcastle line. It opened to goods and mineral traffic in two stages from 1867, and to passengers in 1869.
The Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway was a railway company that built the 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) North Wylam branch or North Wylam loop on the former Newcastle & Carlisle Railway. The loop line opened between 1871 and 1876 and followed the former Wylam waggonway past the cottage where George Stephenson was born. The company was taken over by the North Eastern Railway in 1883.
The Newcastle & Carlisle Railway (N&CR) was an English railway company formed in 1825 that built a line from Newcastle upon Tyne on Britain's east coast, to Carlisle, on the west coast. The railway began operating mineral trains in 1834 between Blaydon and Hexham, and passengers were carried for the first time the following year. The rest of the line opened in stages, completing a through route between Carlisle and Gateshead, south of the River Tyne in 1837. The directors repeatedly changed their intentions for the route at the eastern end of the line, but finally a line was opened from Scotswood to a Newcastle terminal in 1839. That line was extended twice, reaching Newcastle Central station in 1851.