Cawood Bridge

Last updated

Cawood Bridge
Cawood Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1238496.jpg
Coordinates 53°50′01″N1°07′42″W / 53.8337°N 1.1282°W / 53.8337; -1.1282
Carries B1222 road
Crosses River Ouse
Locale Cawood, North Yorkshire
Heritage status Grade II listed
Characteristics
Design Swing bridge
Total length295 feet (90 m)
History
Opened31 July 1872 (1872-07-31)
Location
Cawood Bridge

Cawood Bridge is a swing bridge which spans the Yorkshire River Ouse in North Yorkshire, England. Construction was authorised in 1870, with the formation of the Cawood Bridge bridge company. [1] It was opened on 31 July 1872 to replace the ferry, and is located about halfway between Naburn and Selby. It is the only bridge from the village of Cawood that crosses the river. It is Grade II listed. [2]

Contents

History

The local population at Cawood considered the ferry crossing to be slow and, sometimes even dangerous. The proposal for a bridge to replace the ferry crossing gained Royal Assent in 1870. [3] The bridge was opened in July 1872 at a cost of £12,000. It has five spans, two of which are the swing section and extends to 295 feet (90 m), even though the width of the river at the bridge's location is 50 yards (46 m). [4] [5]

Operations

The bridge, whose maintenance is the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council, had a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes (8.3 tons) until 2017, when extra strengthening work was undertaken raising the weight limit to 10 tonnes (11 tons). [6] [7] CCTV cameras are installed to monitor traffic not adhering to the weight limit or red lights, and to allow officials to see traffic in both directions. It is the policy of the county council to prosecute any overweight vehicle, or vehicle jumping the red lights, caught on CCTV. Previous fines have been as much as £900. Crossing vehicles used to be charged a toll, but this system was scrapped in 1882, when the North Riding County Council bought the bridge. [8]

The bridge has experienced numerous problems, due partly to its age, but mainly due to the increasing numbers of heavy goods vehicles and heavily laden farm vehicles using the bridge and causing damage, especially when they have loads in excess of the maximum gross weight (MGW). [9] [10] [11] Issues have included the locking pin falling out of place, cracks forming in the supporting structure, and jamming of the swing mechanism, which has caused heavy traffic delays and tailbacks.

2003 closure

In October 2003, the bridge was closed for five days for urgent repair work, after a vehicle collided with a safety barrier.

Later inspection discovered that the York end of the bridge was about to fail due to three large cracks in one of the supporting steel plates, which ran the full length of the bridge. River traffic was halted, and new plates were fitted within hours, as a temporary measure.

Permanent repairs involved a steel plate, twice the thickness of the original, being fitted along the entire deck.

2015 floods

In late December 2015, heavy rainfall led to flooding across large parts of northern England and Wales. The Ouse at Cawood flowed over the deck of the bridge. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ouse, Yorkshire</span> River in North Yorkshire, England

The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. Hydrologically, the river is a continuation of the River Ure, and the combined length of the River Ure and River Ouse makes it, at 129 miles (208 km), the sixth-longest river of the United Kingdom and the longest to flow entirely in one county. The length of the Ouse alone is about 52 miles (84 km) but the total length of the river is disputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Valley line</span> Trans-Pennine railway line in Northern England

The Hope Valley line is a trans-Pennine railway line in Northern England, linking Manchester with Sheffield. It was completed in 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadcaster</span> Town in North Yorkshire, England

Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) north-east of Leeds and 10 miles (16 km) south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the lowest road crossing-point on the River Wharfe until the construction of the A64 Tadcaster by-pass some 660 yards (600 m) to the south, in 1978. There are two rail crossings downstream of the town before the Wharfe joins the River Ouse near Cawood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridges of York</span> Bridges over the Ouse and Foss in York, England

There are nine bridges across the River Ouse and eighteen smaller bridges and passages across the narrower River Foss within the city of York, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ouse Bridge (M62)</span> Road bridge in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The Ouse Bridge is a reinforced concrete plate girder bridge that spans River Ouse between Goole and Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It carries the M62 and is situated between junctions 36 and 37. It was built between 1973 and 1976 by Costain and was designed by Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners. The bridge was officially opened to traffic on 24 May 1976 by nine-year-old Martin Brigham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selby railway station</span> Railway station in North Yorkshire, England

Selby railway station is a Grade II listed station which serves the market town of Selby in North Yorkshire, England. The original terminus station was opened in 1834 for the Leeds and Selby Railway. The Hull and Selby Railway extended the line in 1840 and a new station was built, with the old station becoming a goods shed. The station was rebuilt in 1873 and 1891; the 1891 rebuilding was required due to the replacement of the swing bridge over the River Ouse at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naburn</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Naburn is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the eastern side of the River Ouse about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of York. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 470, increasing to 516 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cawood</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Cawood is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England that is notable as the location of the Cawood sword. It was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appersett</span> Hamlet in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England

Appersett is a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England one mile (1.6 km) west of Hawes. It lies on the A684 road and an unclassified road runs alongside Widdale Beck to connect with the B6255 road between Hawes and Ingleton.

Cawood is a village in North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goole railway swing bridge</span> Swing bridge in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The Skelton Viaduct, also known as the Hook bridge or Goole railway swing bridge, is a large viaducted hogback plate girder bridge with swing span over the River Ouse, Yorkshire near Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The bridge was designed by Thomas Elliot Harrison for the Hull and Doncaster Branch of the North Eastern Railway and opened in 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York and Doncaster branch</span> Railway line in Yorkshire, England

The York and Doncaster branch was a railway line that opened in 1871 connecting Doncaster with York via Selby in Yorkshire, England. This line later became part of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and was the route that express trains took between London King's Cross, the north of England and Scotland. It was opened by the North Eastern Railway (NER) between York and Shaftholme Junction, some 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Doncaster railway station. Between its opening in 1871 and the grouping in 1923, the line was used by both the NER, and the Great Northern Railway (GNR). All of the intermediate local stations that had opened with the line in 1871 closed down in the 1950s and 1960s leaving just Selby open between the town of Doncaster and the city of York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Tutt</span> River in North Yorkshire, England

The River Tutt is a 8.7-mile (14 km) long tributary of the River Ure in North Yorkshire, England. The river rises near to the villages of Nidd and Scotton draining mainly arable land north eastwards before emptying into the Ure at Boroughbridge. Where the river joins the Ure in Boroughbridge, has been the site of significant historic flooding. An Environment Agency project to alleviate flooding on the river has seen diversion schemes and pumps added to prevent this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedon Haven</span> River and port in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Hedon Haven is a waterway that connected the Humber Estuary with the port of Hedon, in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The waterway allowed ships to unload at the port in Hedon, which was also known as Hedon Haven and had, at its peak, three canalised arms that stretched into the town. The port at Hedon was the main port for south Holderness between the 12th and 13th centuries, and was the busiest port in Holderness before the docks at Hull were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ouse swing bridge</span> Rad Bridge over the River Ouse, Yorkshire, England

The River Ouse swing bridge is a road bridge over the River Ouse in North Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 2004 when the A63 road bypassed the town of Selby, which traffic previously had to go through to cross the river. It is one of several bridges over the River Ouse between York and the mouth of the Ouse, where it joins the River Trent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newlay</span> Suburb of Horsforth, West Yorkshire, England

Newlay is a suburb of Horsforth, in West Yorkshire, England. Originally a hamlet, it is now part of Horsforth parish in the City of Leeds District, and has its own conservation area. Newlay is situated on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, some 5 miles (8 km) north west of Leeds city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boothferry Bridge</span> Bridge over the River Ouse in Yorkshire, England

Boothferry Bridge is a crossing over the River Ouse, between the East Riding and West Yorkshire, England, some 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of Goole. The bridge was opened in 1929, replacing a ferry crossing immediately west of the bridge's location. The Act of Parliament for the building of the bridge in 1925, gave priority to river traffic. This situation still exists, though there have been some attempts to change priorities. On opening, it was the furthest crossing downstream of the river, cutting 25 miles (40 km) off the journey south to London from Kingston upon Hull. The M62 Ouse Bridge opened up to the east of Boothferry Bridge in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selby toll bridge</span> Bridge in North Yorkshire, England

Selby Toll Bridge is one of three swing bridges in the town of Selby, North Yorkshire, England. A timber bridge over the River Ouse in the town was opened in c. 1793 to replace a ferry crossing that had existed since Medieval times. The bridge provided a connection between the West and East Ridings of Yorkshire across the River Ouse, and became the furthest downstream public bridge crossing over the river until 1929, when the Boothferry Bridge was built. The moving section of the original bridge used ball-bearings and cog wheels; the bridge is believed to be the first in the world to use ball-bearings. The replacement 1970s bridge, now only carries the A19 road as the A63 bypass was opened in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Bridge, Yorkshire</span> Grade II* listed bridge in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Sutton Bridge is a historic bridge in Yorkshire, in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myton Swing Bridge</span> Road bridge in Hull, Yorkshire, England

Myton Swing Bridge is a road bridge over the River Hull, in the city of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. The bridge carries the A63 road through the south of the city connecting the west and east regions of Hull. Designed by the firm of Freeman Fox and Partners, with engineering undertaken by Cleveland Bridge, it was the largest swing bridge in Britain when it was opened in 1980. The bridge was expected to carry 30,000 vehicles a week, but by 2004, it was carrying 40,000 vehicles a day.

References

  1. THE HOUSE OF LORDS SESSION 1870. Oxford University. 1870. p. 181.
  2. Historic England. "Cawood Bridge (1316656)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. "Opening of Cawood Bridge". York Herald. No. 5198. Column A. 3 August 1872. p. 9.
  4. "Genuki: STILLINGFLEET: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1892., Yorkshire (East Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  5. "Fire crews rescue jammed barge after it is swept into river bridge" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  6. Towle, Dennis (25 May 2001). "Traffic chaos as swing bridge jams" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  7. "Bridge to close for 20 weeks for upgrade" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  8. "Stillingfleet | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  9. Towle, Dennis (18 October 2003). "Parts of bridge close to collapse" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  10. "Lorry drivers fined for breaking weight restriction on bridge" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  11. Rychlikova, Megi (18 September 2017). "Lorry drivers fined for breaking bridge ban". York Press. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  12. "Flooding near Cawood stretches over a mile". ITV News . 27 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
Bridges over the River Ouse
Upstream: Naburn railway bridge Downstream: Selby toll bridge