Walney Bridge

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Walney Bridge
Walney Bridge, March 2011.jpg
Walney bridge viewed from Walney Island at high tide
Coordinates 54°06′27″N3°14′37″W / 54.1076°N 3.2435°W / 54.1076; -3.2435
CarriesMotor vehicles UK road A590.svg
Trams (until 1932)
Pedestrians and bicycles
CrossesWalney Channel
Locale Barrow-in-Furness
Official nameJubilee Bridge
Other name(s)Walney Bridge
Maintained by Cumbria County Council
Characteristics
Design Bascule bridge
Total length343 metres (1,125 ft)
Width15 metres (49 ft)
History
Opened30 July 1908
Statistics
TollUntil 1935
Location
Walney Bridge

Walney Bridge, officially Jubilee Bridge, [lower-roman 1] is a bascule bridge in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Completed in 1908, it spans Walney Channel, linking Barrow Island to Walney Island. The bridge carries the A590 trunk road, which has its western terminus on Walney.

Contents

History

Walney Bridge as it appeared in the early 1900s (decade) Walneybridge1900.jpg
Walney Bridge as it appeared in the early 1900s (decade)

Talks began in 1897 to how feasible the construction of a bridge connecting Barrow to Walney would be. At the time, Walney residents were frustrated by the fact that they had to use a ferry to traverse the Walney Channel, and they also saw it as an opportunity to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. When the bridge was finally approved many companies fought for the building contract, with Sir William Arrol & Co. winning it. [1] Construction of the £175,000 (in that time) bridge began in mid-1905 and it was finally opened by Barrow mayor Mrs. T.F. Taylor on 30 July 1908. For 27 years Walney bridge was a toll bridge until 4 April 1935, when the Duchess of York officially renamed it Jubilee Bridge to mark the Silver Jubilee of George V, as recorded on a plaque on the bridge, and handed it to the townspeople. During World War II, the bascule bridge was lifted every night to ensure that anyone who made landfall on Walney was unable to reach Barrow by crossing the bridge and reaching its shipbuilding facilities. [2] The bridge is now over 100 years old, and in 2008 Cumbria County Council spent £1 million on renovating the bridge and repainting it for its centenary celebration. [3] The bridge is not to be confused with Abbey Road's Jubilee Bridge, which is also in Barrow and is a Grade II listed structure. [4]

The Blue Bridge

Walney Jubilee bridge was often nicknamed by local residents the blue bridge in relation to its colour and to distinguish it from the other bridge situated on Barrow. These nicknames, however, were ended when in 2008 the bridge was painted gold and black.

Centenary celebrations

The bridge celebrated its 100th anniversary with significant renovation and a night of fireworks.

In fiction

The bridge was the link to the fictional island of Sodor, home of Thomas the Tank Engine et al. in The Railway Series books by the Reverend W. Awdry. [5] In the Railway Series, the bridge opened much later in 1977.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 2023, the borough merged with Eden and South Lakeland districts to form a new unitary authority: Westmorland and Furness. At the tip of the Furness peninsula, close to the Lake District, it is bordered by Morecambe Bay, the Duddon Estuary and the Irish Sea. In 2011, Barrow's population was 56,745, making it the second largest urban area in Cumbria after Carlisle, and the largest in the Westmorland and Furness unitary authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furness</span>

Furness is a peninsula and region of Cumbria, England. Together with the Cartmel Peninsula it forms North Lonsdale, historically an exclave of Lancashire. On 1 April 2023 it became part of the new unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A590 road</span> Trunk road in north west England

The A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It runs north-east to south-west from M6 junction 36, through the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness to terminate at Biggar Bank on Walney Island. The road is a mixture of dual carriageway and single carriageway, with the section east of Low Newton, Cumbria to the M6 being mainly dual. Further dual sections are south of Newby Bridge, south of Greenodd and south of Ulverston. The road is the main route for tourists entering the southern Lake District. It has often humorously been described as "the longest cul-de-sac in the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenodd</span> Human settlement in England

Greenodd is a village in the Furness area of the county of Cumbria, England, but within the historical county of Lancashire. For local government purposes the village is also within the South Lakeland local area of Westmorland and Furness unitary authority. It is located 3 miles (5 km) north-east of Ulverston at the junction of the A590 trunk road and the A5092 trunk road. The village is just outside the boundary of the Lake District National Park at 54°14′N3°3′W. Greenodd was within the Crake Valley area of South Lakeland District. The 2001 UK census, gives a population of 1823 for the Crake Valley. Greenodd and adjacent Penny Bridge are the main districts in the Crake Valley. The River Crake flows into the estuary of the River Leven at Greenodd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walney Island</span> Island in the United Kingdom

Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is an island off the west coast of England, at the western end of Morecambe Bay in the Irish Sea. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it is part of Barrow-in-Furness, separated from the mainland by Walney Channel, which is spanned by the Jubilee Bridge. Walney is the largest island of the Furness Islands group, both in population and size, as well as the largest English island in the Irish Sea. Its population at the 2011 UK Census was 10,651, distributed evenly across the island's two Wards of Walney North and Walney South.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodor (fictional island)</span> Fictional island in The Railway Series books

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow Island, Barrow-in-Furness</span> Area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England

Barrow Island is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Originally separate from the British mainland, land reclamation in the 1860s saw the northern fringes of the island connected to Central Barrow. Barrow Island is also bound to the south and east by the town's dock system and to the west by Walney Channel. The Ward population taken at the 2011 census was 2,616.

Vickerstown is an area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, covered by the wards of Walney North and Walney South. It is an example of a model village built for workers by a company needing to expand, having been constructed in the early 20th century by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering. Vickerstown contains two Conservation Areas and is home to the majority of the population of Walney Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindal-in-Furness</span> Human settlement in England

Lindal-in-Furness is a village on the Furness peninsula, in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies eight miles to the north-east of Barrow-in-Furness, on the A590 trunk road. The civil parish is Lindal and Marton which had a population of 755 at the 2011 Census.

North Scale is a village and one of only four settlements on the Isle of Walney, Cumbria, England. It is the northernmost settlement, lying a mile north of Vickerstown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow/Walney Island Airport</span> Airport in Cumbria England

Walney Aerodrome is located on Walney Island, 1.5 NM northwest of the centre of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The airport is owned by BAE Systems, who operate private communication flights to locations across the United Kingdom and expanded the airport with new infrastructure and terminal buildings in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dock Museum</span> Museum in Barrow-in-Furness, England

The Dock Museum is situated in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Most of its exhibits concern the history of the town, focusing on the shipbuilding industry at VSEL, the steelworks industry — of which Barrow once had the world's largest, the Furness Railway and the World War II bombings of the town. There has been a museum in Barrow since 1907 and in its current location since 1994, when 50,000 people visited it in its first year, visitor numbers peaked at 120,000 in 2001. The museum has free entry and remains under public ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawcoat</span> Human settlement in England

Hawcoat is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is one of Barrow's most northerly wards and is bordered by Roose, Newbarns, Parkside, Ormsgill and the town of Dalton-in-Furness to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow Blitz</span> WWII aerial bombardment of British city

The Barrow Blitz is the name given to the Luftwaffe bombings of Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom during World War II. They took place primarily during April and May 1941, although the earliest Luftwaffe bombing occurred in September 1940. VSEL shipyard was the main target for bombing alongside Barrow's steelworks, which were formerly the largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindpool</span> Human settlement in England

Hindpool is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is bordered by Barrow Island, Central Barrow, Ormsgill, Parkside and the Walney Channel, the local population stood at 5,851 in 2011. The ward covers the entire western half of the town centre and includes Barrow's main shopping district. Other local landmarks include the Furness College Channelside campus, the Dock Museum and the Main Public Library. Hindpool is also home to two stadia - Barrow Raiders' Craven Park and Barrow A.F.C.'s Holker Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michaelson Road Bridge</span> Bridge in Barrow-in-Furness

Michaelson Road Bridge is a road bridge connecting Central Barrow to Barrow Island in south Cumbria, England. The original high-level bridge was a swing bridge and then replaced by a pair of lift and roll bridges constructed between 1800 and 1884 then superseded by a more modern pair of bascule bridges in the mid 1960s. It was built at a time when Barrow Island was actually an island and there was strong call for road access between mainland Barrow at the shipyard on Barrow Island. Traffic on the bridge was soon relieved when an old Victorian dock was filled in and space was created for the huge Devonshire Dock Hall complex, traffic now runs along the north side of the building on the A590.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Waterfront Barrow-in-Furness</span> Place in Cumbria, England

The Waterfront Barrow-in-Furness is a £200 million development under construction in and around the Port of Barrow, England. The site covers an area of some 400 acres (160 ha) and was due for completion in 2020. The internal road network is already complete, with construction of a large business park complex ongoing and work on a 400-berth marina and 650 home Marina Village due to start thereafter. In 2010, The Waterfront Barrow-in-Furness ranked as the ninetieth most costly regeneration project in the United Kingdom by Regeneration & Renewal. Progress on the project stalled between 2010 and 2016 due to complications with funding following the disabandonment of the North West Regional Development Agency. BAE Systems opened a large logistics warehouse named the Resolution Building on Dova Way within the designated Business Park Area in October 2016, while and construction of a new access road from Salthouse Road to the Marina Village commenced in May 2017.

The following is a timeline of the history of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walney Channel</span> Body of water in the United Kingdom

The Walney Channel separates Walney Island from the British mainland. The northern portion of the channel opens into the Duddon Estuary and is both narrower and shallower. The southern half of the channel is wider and is regularly dredged to allow shipping to access the Port of Barrow. This half opens into Morecambe Bay.

References

  1. Another Jubilee Bridge can be found in Barrow on the former route of the A590 on Abbey Road near Furness General Hospital and the Junction with Rating Lane where the road crosses Dane Gill Beck.
  1. "Adam Hunter". Engineering Times. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  2. History of Walney Bridge
  3. Walney Bridge Centenary
  4. Abbey Road Jubilee Bridge
  5. "Where is Sodor, home of Thomas the Tank Engine?". 4 July 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2018.