Ferry Bridge, Burton facts for kids
The Ferry Bridge is a special pedestrian bridge in Staffordshire, England. It crosses the River Trent and connects the town of Burton upon Trent to the area called Stapenhill. This bridge was built a long time ago, during the Victorian era, in 1889. It's also known as the Stapenhill Ferry Bridge or the Stapenhill Suspension Bridge.
What makes this bridge really unique is its design. It's a "semi-suspension" bridge, and it was the first and only one of its kind built in Europe! A local company called Thornewill and Warham designed and built it. The bridge is about 240 ft (73 m) long and is made of strong iron.
Before the bridge was built, people used a small ferry boat to cross the river here, which had been running since the 1200s. The Ferry Bridge was a gift to the town from a rich brewing businessman named Michael Arthur Bass, who later became Lord Burton. It officially opened on April 3, 1889, and thousands of people came to celebrate!
The bridge is still used by many people every day. It has been repaired twice, most recently in 2015–2016. It's also part of National Cycle Route 63, which is a path for bikes and walkers. The bridge is so important that it's a Grade II listed building, meaning it's a special historic structure.
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Why the Bridge Was Built
In the 1800s, the town of Burton grew a lot because of its brewing industry. More people meant more traffic, and the old ferry couldn't keep up. People often had to wait a long time to cross the river. There was only one other bridge in Burton at the time, so everyone wanted a second bridge.
In 1865, the Marquis of Anglesey, who owned the ferry rights, got permission to build a bridge. But his plans never happened.
Later, in 1885, the Marquis wanted to build a smaller footbridge and sell his ferry rights. After many talks, Sir Michael Arthur Bass (Lord Burton) offered to pay for a new footbridge himself! He said he would pay if the town council bought the ferry rights from the Marquis.
The council agreed and paid a large sum of £12,950 for the ferry rights. Work on the new bridge began in 1888.
Who Built the Bridge?
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The company chosen to design and build the Ferry Bridge was Thornewill and Warham Ltd. This engineering company was based right there in Burton. It started way back in 1740, making tools.
By the mid-1800s, the company grew and started making big machines like steam engines. They also built a lot of the iron structures for the breweries in Burton. Building the Ferry Bridge and the connecting viaduct (a long bridge-like structure) was one of their biggest projects. It cost just over £10,000 to build.
How the Bridge Was Designed
The Ferry Bridge was designed by Edward William Ives, with help from Alfred Andrew Langley, a chief engineer.
It's a type of suspension bridge, but it's special. Usually, suspension bridges have chains that are anchored far away from the bridge. But on the Ferry Bridge, the chains are attached directly to the ends of the main girders (the big beams). These chains are made of flat iron bars that are connected together. This was a new way to build a bridge, and the Ferry Bridge was the first in Europe to use this design! It might even be the only one left like it.
The bridge crosses the river in three parts. It's held up by four strong cast-iron pillars, each about five feet (150 cm) wide. These pillars go deep into the riverbed for a strong foundation.
The middle part of the bridge is 115 feet (35 metres) long, and the two end parts are each 57 feet (17 metres) long. The walkway for people is 10 feet (3.0 metres) wide. It stands about 11 feet (3.4 metres) above the water in the middle.
When it was first built, the bridge had fancy decorations. The towers were covered with ornamental ironwork and had Lord Burton's family crest and motto. On top of the towers were lion statues holding staffs with Lord Burton's initials.
The bridge was tested to make sure it was strong enough. They put several tons of old rails on the middle section. Then, 20 soldiers marched across it in step. This was considered a very tough test for a bridge back in 1889!
The walkway was originally made of wood. The bridge was lit by six lamps, two hanging from the cross braces and four more on the towers. The total weight of the iron in the bridge is over 200 tons!
The Grand Opening
The Ferry Bridge had its big opening day on Wednesday, April 3, 1889. Even though the weather was wet and stormy, between 8,000 and 10,000 people came to see it! Important people like Sir Michael Arthur Bass (Lord Burton) and his wife were there.
After the opening, Lord Burton announced another gift: he would build a raised pathway across the meadows to connect the Ferry Bridge to Burton. This pathway, called the Stapenhill Viaduct, was finished in 1890. This made the total cost of the bridge and viaduct around £10,000. Today, the viaduct has modern steel, but it still uses the original iron columns.
At first, people had to pay a small fee to cross the bridge, but Lord Burton stopped these charges in 1898.
Bridge Renovations
1970s Renovation
In 1969, people noticed the bridge was in bad shape after 80 years. Some even suggested tearing it down and building a new one. Instead, experts decided to fix it. They thought some of the heavy decorations were putting too much stress on the bridge, so they removed them.
The bridge was covered in scaffolding for almost a year. When it was uncovered, people were disappointed because all the fancy decorations were gone. The bridge was also painted black and white instead of its original colors.
Some of the original lion statues and plaques from the bridge are now on display at the National Brewery Centre in Burton. Other pieces were saved by local residents.
Because of efforts by the Burton Civic Society, the bridge was officially made a Grade II listed building in 1979, protecting it for the future.
2015–2016 Renovation
Around 2000, the Burton Civic Society noticed the bridge was getting old again. They told the local councils that it needed repairs. The cost was very high, and people worried the bridge might be torn down.
A social media group called "Friends of the Ferry Bridge" started a campaign to save and restore the bridge. They had over 400 members! The council then set up a group with people from the council, the Environment Agency, and the Friends of the Ferry Bridge to plan the repairs.
The Friends of the Ferry Bridge even helped choose the new colors for the bridge: black and white, with red centers on some of the decorations. The bridge closed for repairs in June 2015, which was a big deal because it was a main link between Stapenhill and the town center.
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Work started on September 7, 2015, and was expected to take about a year, costing around £1 million. Bad weather, like high river levels, made the work difficult. The bridge finally reopened on October 21, 2016.
Plaque Replacement
During the 1969 renovation, four large cast-iron plaques with Lord Burton's family crest were removed from the bridge. They were four feet square and painted in bright colors. The Burton Civic Society wanted them replaced during the 2015–2016 repairs, but the original plaques couldn't be found.
However, one plaque was found at the Museum of Brewing! A local businessman, George Lawson, helped arrange for new, lighter aluminum plaques to be made from a mold of the original. He even paid for them to be made so they could be installed while the scaffolding was still up. Later, he organized fundraising in the town to cover the cost, and the community quickly raised the money.
Awards
The "Friends of Ferry Bridge" group played a huge part in getting the bridge restored. In November 2016, they won the "Best Community Project" Award at a local ceremony!
Also in November 2016, the Ferry Bridge itself won an award from the Institution of Structural Engineers in the Pedestrian Bridge category.
Love Locks
Soon after the bridge reopened, someone put a "love lock" on it. These are small padlocks that couples attach to bridges as a symbol of their love. However, the lock was quickly removed. Love locks are not allowed on the Ferry Bridge because they can be unsightly, add weight to the structure, and are not permitted under the bridge's historic listing rules. Any new ones will be removed right away.
