Victoria Bridge, Glasgow
| Victoria Bridge | |
| Lanarkshire | |
|---|---|
 Victoria Bridge | |
| Location | |
| Crossing: | River Clyde |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NS59186458 |
| Location: | 55°51’14"N, 4°15’4"W |
| Structure | |
| No. of spans: | 7 |
| History | |
| Built 1854 | |
| Architect: | James Walker |
| Information | |
Victoria Bridge spans the River Clyde in Glasgow's city centre. A Victorian bridge, as the name suggests, it is a Category A listed structure,[1] and the oldest bridge in Glasgow. It is found at the foot of Stockwell Street in the city centre.[2]
History
The Victoria Bridge was built on the site of the first recorded bridge over the Clyde; a timber bridge believed to exist in 1285 and described as "Glaskow bryg, that byggt was of tre" in Henry the Minstrel's epic poem on Sir William Wallace.[3] In 1345 Bishop William Rae replaced the timber bridge with the Bishop's Bridge, located on the same site. Bishop's Bridge was originally twelve feet wide, but was widened by ten feet in 1777.[4]
By 1851, Glasgow's population had risen to 329,000, having doubled in the previous 25 years. The old, mediæval bridge could not cope with the demands of the traffic pouring over it, and needed to be replaced.
Construction
A new masonry arch bridge was designed by James Walker and constructed by William Scott, although some references name William York, Esquire as the builder.[5][6] The bridge has five segmental arches which vary in span from 67 feet to the widest in the centre, which measures 80 feet wide.[7] The construction replaced Bishop's bridge, with foundations 20 feet below those of the old bridge, and timber piles which were steam-driven a further 12 feet below that.[8]
The new bridge opened in 1854, and was named after Queen Victoria. It gave Glasgow one of the two widest bridges in Britain – London's widest at that time was only 54 feet.[9]
The bridge today carries the western arm of the A8 across the River Clyde. It is one-way, city-bound with two lanes, though it also has a contraflow Bus, Cycle and Taxi lane. Thee Victoria Bridge is complemented by the Albert Bridge on the other side of the railway bridge, which is also two-way.
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Victoria Bridge, Glasgow) |
References
- ↑ Glasgow, River Clyde, Victoria Bridge - British Listed Buildings
- ↑ "Victoria Bridge from The Gazetteer for Scotland". http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1477.html.
- ↑ "Victoria Bridge History". Glasgow City Council. http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8072. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ↑ CANMORE (RCAHMS) record of Victoria Bridge
- ↑ Laurie, William Alexander; (sir.), David Brewster (1859) (in en). The history of free masonry and the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Seton & Mackenzie. https://books.google.com/books?id=W44BAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&dq=victoria+bridge+william+york+esq&source=bl&ots=UUTm6RQ5c7&sig=L2j125j__YXTVRaUl7wcCejcnXc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOuvb6ne7YAhVM-6wKHR5JC1sQ6AEIRjAI#v=onepage&q=victoria%20bridge%20william%20york%20esq&f=false.
- ↑ "Engineering Timelines - Victoria Bridge, Glasgow". http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=796.
- ↑ "Engineering Timelines - Victoria Bridge, Glasgow". http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=796.
- ↑ ICE Scotland. "Glasgow's Clyde Bridges". http://www.clydewaterfront.com/media/5942/clyde_bridges_cwf.pdf.
- ↑ Dunn, Etta (2014-06-15) (in en). Central Glasgow Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445638874. https://books.google.com/books?id=dA_XAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT123&lpg=PT123&dq=victoria+bridge+glasgow+named+queen&source=bl&ots=KmoT53RH3H&sig=iDof1rETS6CAqdvnNMzdvlYkyxc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi034LDnO7YAhVIXK0KHeq7CygQ6AEIVzAK#v=onepage&q=victoria%20bridge%20glasgow%20named%20queen&f=false.
| Bridges and crossings on the River Clyde | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonian Railway Bridge | Glasgow Bridge | South Portland Street Suspension Bridge | Victoria Bridge | City Union Bridge | Albert Bridge | St Andrew's Suspension Bridge |