Union Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 57°08′45″N2°06′05″W / 57.1458°N 2.10142°W |
| Crosses | Denburn Valley |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Granite |
| Total length | 130 feet 0 inches (39.62 m) |
| Location | |
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Union Bridge is a bridge on Union Street, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the largest single-span granite bridge in the world, at 130 feet (40 metres). It was built by Thomas Fletcher under some influence from Thomas Telford. It is a Category B listed building with Historic Scotland. [1]
Constructed from 1801–05 as part of Union Street under plans suggested by Charles Abercrombie, it was intended to provide an impressive approach into the city from the south (and west); previously the route had been somewhat circuitous. The bridge crosses the Denburn valley, and Union Terrace Gardens. Alongside the gardens are a dual carriageway and single railway track; originally there was a small roadway and considerable railway workings, with the site being a short distance north of Aberdeen railway station.
The bridge was widened in 1908, in a scheme of William Diack, with Benjamin Baker as consultant, shortly before the latter's death. Steel side spans which carry today's pavements were introduced, as were the famous "Kelly's cats", black cast metal leopards which sit along the balustrade. [2] The 'cats' were cast by William Wilson and added to the bridge in 1910. The name Kelly’s Cats is actually a misnomer as only the decorative bronze friezes, installed on the bridge in 1908, were designed by the Aberdeen architect William Kelly. [3]
The southern side of the bridge, including the cats, was hidden, and the view lost, when shops were constructed along it in the 1960s. [4] These later became part of the Trinity Centre. The road and railways continue to run under the shops. The southern balustrade was moved to Duthie Park.
Makeshift fencing was installed along the bridge in 2016 in an attempt to deter people from dying by suicide. [5] A permanent barrier is due to be completed in 2021 as part of works to redevelop the adjacent Union Terrace Gardens. [6]
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. The station serves as the northern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, 393 miles 13 chains from London King's Cross, although some trains operated by London North Eastern Railway continue to other Scottish destinations beyond Edinburgh.
Union Terrace Gardens is a public park and gardens situated on Union Terrace in Aberdeen, Scotland.
John Dobson was a 19th-century English neoclassical architect. During his life, he was the most noted architect in Northern England. He designed more than 50 churches and 100 private houses, but he is best known for designing Newcastle railway station and his work with Richard Grainger developing the neoclassical centre of Newcastle. Other notable structures include Nunnykirk Hall, Meldon Park, Mitford Hall, Lilburn Tower, St John the Baptist Church in Otterburn, Northumberland, and Beaufront Castle.
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the West End, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Old Town in 1995. The area is also famed for the New Town Gardens, a heritage designation since March 2001.
Archibald Simpson was a Scottish architect, who along with his rival John Smith, is regarded as having fashioned the character of Aberdeen as "The Granite City".
Aberdeen railway station is the main railway station in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the busiest railway station in Scotland north of the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is located on Guild Street in the city centre, next to Union Square.
The Trinity Centre is a one floor shopping centre in Aberdeen, Scotland. It has a two level car park. There are 408 spaces and the main entrance is on Wapping Street. Wider spaces are available for parents and children and the disabled. Car Valeting services are now also provided.
The Bon Accord centre is the second-largest shopping centre complex in Aberdeen, Scotland and serves a large catchment area including the city and surrounding Aberdeenshire.
Banff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron. It is a former royal burgh, and is the county town of the historic county of Banffshire.
Duthie Park is a public park in the Ferryhill area of Aberdeen, Scotland located near the River Dee. It comprises 44 acres (180,000 m2) of land given to the council in 1881 by Miss Elizabeth Crombie Duthie of Ruthrieston, in memory of her uncle and of her brother. She purchased the land for £30,000 from the estate of Arthurseat.
The network of transportation in Aberdeen is widespread and complex like that of any major city. It is currently receiving the attention of politicians in Scotland who have acknowledged that there has been underinvestment over the past few decades in keeping the infrastructure in line with the needs of the city.
The architecture of Aberdeen, Scotland, is known for the use of granite as the principal construction material. The stone, which has been quarried in and around the city, has given Aberdeen the epithet The Granite City, or more romantically, and less commonly used, the Silver City, after the mica in the stone which sparkles in the sun.
Union Terrace is a single carriageway street in the city centre of Aberdeen. At the south end, it has a junction with Union Street, at Union Bridge and Bridge Street; and at the north end, it has a junction with Rosemount Viaduct, with the Central Library and His Majesty's Theatre on that street.
Guild Street is a main street in the city centre of Aberdeen, Scotland, close to the harbour.
Union Square is a shopping centre located in the centre of Aberdeen, Scotland, which opened to the public on Thursday, 29 October 2009. The centre contains a covered shopping mall and retail park. Located on Guild Street and Market Street, the development adjoins onto the side of Aberdeen railway station and a new Aberdeen bus station creating a transport hub. The mall houses more than 60 shops, over fifteen restaurants, a ten screen 2,300 seat Cineworld cinema and a 3-star Jurys Inn hotel with 203 rooms.
The Aberdeen City Garden Project was a £140.5m project to redevelop the Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen after Aberdeen oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood pledged to donate £50m to the redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens. In 2012, he pledged a further £35m should the project overrun. The design 'The Granite Web' by Diller Scofido and Renfro and Keppie Design won an international design competition in 2011 and was approved in a referendum on the development of the current gardens in February/March 2012. The project was vetoed in August 2012 following a council vote.
Royal Terrace is a grand street in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the north side of Calton Hill within the New Town and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1995, built on the south side of a setted street, facing the sloping banks of London Road Gardens, formerly Royal Terrace Gardens, with views looking north towards Leith and the Firth of Forth.
The Triple Kirks in Aberdeen, Scotland were built at the time of the Disruption of 1843 when the Free Church of Scotland split from the Church of Scotland. The three churches were all part of a single building with a tall spire but they housed separate congregations. The East Free Kirk was completed 1843 followed by the West Free Kirk and South Free Kirk early the following year. From about 1966 the building progressively fell into disuse and became mostly ruinous but with the spire remaining.
The Denburn Valley Line was a connecting line constructed to connect the northern end of the Aberdeen Railway and Deeside Railway to the southern end of the Great North of Scotland Railway mainline.