Tweed Bridge

Bridge

Tweed Bridge

Coordinates| 55°39′01″N 3°11′34″W﻿ / ﻿55.650331°N 3.192665°W﻿ / 55.650331; -3.192665
Carries| B7062 public road
Crosses| River Tweed
Characteristics
Material| Stone
Width| 40 feet (12 m)
No. of spans| 5
History
Construction end| 15th century
Location

The Tweed Bridge is a stone-built road bridge of five spans over the River Tweed in Peebles, in the Scottish Borders.

## History[edit]

The dolphin street lamps date from the widening between 1897 and 1900

The Tweed Bridge is medieval in origin, although the exact date of its construction is unknown.[1] Records show that a stone bridge has been maintained at the site since the middle of the 15th century, and work done in 1465 may have been the construction of a new bridge or substantial rebuilding or maintenance of an existing one.[2][1][3] A mason known as John of Peebles may have worked on the bridge at that time.[1] A plaque on the bridge states that it was originally a wooden bridge clad in stone.[4]

It was reconstructed in 1663 using stone from St Andrew's Church which had been destroyed in 1548 by an English army as part of the Rough Wooing.[2] John Hisplop added three additional arches to the south end of the bridge in 1799, but these were removed when the Peebles Railway was built.[1]

The bridge was widened from 8 feet (2.4 m) to 21 feet (6.4 m) in 1834 by adding stonework to both sides.[5][6] This work was done by John and Thomas Smith of Darnick, and the cost of around £1,000 was funded by public subscription.[5] Between 1897 and 1900, it was widened again to 40 feet (12 m) by adding to the downstream side.[5] This work, which cost about £8,000, was done by McTaggart, Cowan and Barker, and funded by the Town Council.[5]

On the south side of the bridge the remains of Second World War defences were evident until the road was resurfaced.[7]

The bridge was listed as a category A listed building in 1971.[5] Plans are being considered for an additional bridge over the Tweed in the town.[8][9]

## Design[edit]

The effect of adding to the bridge can be seen from below

The five spans vary in length from 38 feet (12 m) to 42 feet (13 m).[1] The oldest part of the bridge uses arches which are almost circular, but the more modern parts use flatter segmental arches.[1] On the upstream side the piers have triangular ashlar cutwaters, and rounded profiles on the downstream side.[2][5] At the north end of the bridge is an arched ramp to the east that leads to Tweed Green.[5][10]

The Tweed Bridge is the only road crossing of the Tweed within Peebles.[2] It carries the B7062 public road, which is two lanes wide at this point.[10] Near to the Tweed Bridge is the Cuddy Bridge, a single arch bridge over the Eddleston Water, a tributary of the Tweed.[11]

## References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tweed Bridge.

1. ^ a b c d e f "Peebles, Tweed Bridge". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
2. ^ a b c d "Tweed Bridge, Peebles". engineering-timelines.com. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
3. ^ Renwick, Robert (1903). Peebles: Burgh and Parish in Early History. A. Redpath. p. 61.
4. ^ Tweed Bridge (15th century). Plaque on bridge.
5. ^ a b c d e f g Historic Environment Scotland. "Tweed Bridge (Category A Listed Building) (LB39278)". Retrieved 29 March 2019.
6. ^ Chambers, William (1856). Peebles and its Neighbourhood, with a Run on Peebles Railway. p. 44.
7. ^ "Peebles, Tweed Bridge (Peebles Defences)". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
8. ^ "Peebles new River Tweed road bridge options examined". BBC News. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
9. ^ "Progress made on new Tweed Bridge". Peeblesshire News. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
10. ^ a b Google (19 March 2015). "Tweed Bridge" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
11. ^ "Peebles, Cuddy Bridge". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2015.

* v
* t
* e

River Tweed, Great Britain

Administrative areas|

* Scottish Borders
* Scotland
* Northumberland
* England

Flows into|

* North Sea

Towns
(upstream to downstream)|

* Tweedsmuir
* Peebles
* Innerleithen
* Walkerburn
* Galashiels
* Melrose
* Newstead
* St Boswells
* Kelso
* Coldstream
* Berwick-upon-Tweed

Major tributaries
(upstream to downstream by confluence)|

* Cor Water
* Talla Water
* Holms Water
* Lyne Water
* Manor Water
* Quair Water
* Leithen Water
* Caddon Water
* Ettrick Water
* Yarrow Water
* Gala Water
* River Leader
* River Teviot
* River Till
* Whiteadder Water
* Blackadder Water

Major bridges
(upstream to downstream)|

* Carlow's Bridge
* Neidpath Viaduct
* Tweed Bridge
* Yair Bridge
* Leaderfoot Viaduct
* Drygrange Old Bridge
* Dryburgh Suspension Bridge
* Mertoun Bridge
* Kelso Bridge
* Hunter's Bridge
* Coldstream Bridge
* Ladykirk and Norham Bridge
* Union Bridge
* A1 River Tweed Bridge
* Royal Border Bridge
* Royal Tweed Bridge
* Berwick Bridge

Longest rivers of the United Kingdom

1. Severn
2. Thames
3. Trent
4. Great Ouse
5. Wye
6. Ure/Ouse
7. Tay
8. Spey
9. Clyde
10. Tweed
11. Avon
12. Nene
13. Eden
14. Dee

*[No.]: Number
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template