Victoria Swing Bridge

Bridge
55°58′43″N 3°10′12″W / 55.9787251°N 3.1699057°W / 55.9787251; -3.1699057CrossesWater of LeithCharacteristicsMaterialWrought ironTotal length212 feet (65 m)Width24 feet (7.3 m)Longest span120 feet (37 m)HistoryEngineering design byRendel and RobertsonConstruction start1871Construction end1874Construction cost£30,000LocationMap

The Victoria Swing Bridge is a swing bridge in Leith, Edinburgh.

History

Engraving of the bridge, which has double train tracks on it
Engraving of the bridge carrying a train from around 1879

The bridge was built between 1871 and 1874 to service the new docks.[1] It was engineered by Rendel and Robertson, with J. H. Bostock as resident engineer.[1] McDonald & Grant were contractors for the foundations, and the bridge was built by the Skerne Iron Works.[1] The works cost around £30,000.[1]

Until the completion of the Kincardine Bridge, also in Scotland, in 1936, it is thought to have been the longest clear swing bridge span in Britain[1] (The Swing Bridge, River Tyne, completed two years after the Victoria Bridge, has a longer deck span).

In 1974, the bridge was designated a Category A listed building by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).[2]

Despite some renovation of the bridge that was completed in 2000,[3] HES put the structure on the Buildings at Risk Register in 2020 with a risk category of "Moderate". This followed reports of the poor condition of the deck, with timber rotting in places and vegetation taking hold.[4]

In 2021, Forth Ports was granted listed building consent for a full refurbishment programme, the work to include renovation of the two walkways, re-decking of the carriageway, replacement of the decked turning circle areas and repainting of the metalwork. The project, which is being financed by a "private six-figure investment", is being carried out in phases.[5] As of January 2024[update] the work is still in progress.

Design

The footpath on the north side of the bridge

It was 212 feet (65 m) long in total, with a clear span of 120 feet (37 m), and a roadway width of 24 feet (7.3 m).[1] The bridge was constructed from wrought iron, and weighed 620 tonnes (610 long tons; 680 short tons), including 60 tonnes (59 long tons; 66 short tons) of timber decking and 240 tonnes (240 long tons; 260 short tons) of kentledge counterweight.[1] The bridge carried two tracks of a dock railway and a road, and there are footpaths on either side outside the truss structure.[1][6] The tracks and roadway have now been removed, and the bridge has a wooden deck.[6]

The bridge was powered hydraulically by a power station just to the north.[7][8] It swung to the north, and the space afforded for the counterbalance can still be seen.[8]

It has been succeeded by a new bridge further downstream, which carries a road & tramline known as Ocean Drive.[9][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Edinburgh, Leith Docks, Victoria Swing Bridge". Canmore. Edinburgh: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Victoria Swing Bridge, Leith Docks". Listed Buildings. Historic Environment Scotland. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Audio Trail". The Water of Leith Conservation Trust. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Victoria Swing Bridge, Leith". Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Edinburgh grants listed building consent for Victoria Swing Bridge repairs". Scottish Construction Now. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Victoria Swing Bridge". leithlocalhistorysociety.org.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Edinburgh, Leith Docks, Alexandra Dry Dock, Hydraulic Power Station". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  8. ^ a b c Google (23 September 2014). "Victoria Swing Bridge" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Edinburgh, Leith Docks, Victoria Bridge". rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
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