Over Dinsdale Bridge

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County Durham, Yorkshire
Location
Crossing:	River Tees
Location
Grid reference:	NZ34611137
Location:	54°29’47"N, 1°28’2"W
Structure
History
	Built 1839
Information

Over Dinsdale Bridge is a road bridge which crosses the River Tees, from County Durham on the north bank to the North Riding of Yorkshire on the south; although here the Tees describes a long loop, the bridge crossing inside it so that its north end is on the Yorkshire bank and its south end in Durham.

The bridge joins the Yorkshire village of Over Dinsdale in the loop if the river with Low Dinsdale in County Durham though to the south. It is believed that the Romans also bridged the river near this spot.

This is the third bridge to be built crossing the Tees here, if the Romans are excluded. The Rev W S Temple arranged for the first, to allow workers on the Surtees estate to cross the Tees to attend church on the Durham (south) side. It was wooden and rested on stone piers but in 1856 the timber was replaced by a brick arch. This later collapsed with the loss of two lives and a new bridge was built of wrought iron. Steel beams were substituted for trussed beams and the toll bridge was taken over from the Over Dinsdale Estate by the council in 1955. The structure was modernised in 1956, the deck is now concreted and carries a single line of traffic and a footpath. It was strengthened again in 1993.

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References

• Over Dinsdale Bridge: Bridges on the Tyne