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Newcastle Swing Bridge is a Victorian-era swing bridge crossing the River Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne, designed by William Armstrong and completed in 1876. The bridge features a distinctive wrought-iron swing span that pivots to allow passage of river traffic, representing an important example of Victorian engineering innovation and industrial design. Its construction reflected the growth of Newcastle as a major port and industrial centre during the nineteenth century, incorporating advanced hydraulic technology that Armstrong's engineering company had developed. The bridge remains a significant structure in Newcastle's riverside landscape and demonstrates the practical application of cutting-edge mechanical engineering to urban infrastructure.
Newcastle Swing Bridge is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003722. View the official record →
Newcastle Swing Bridge is a Victorian-era swing bridge crossing the River Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne, designed by William Armstrong and completed in 1876. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003722.
Newcastle Swing Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1003722.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newcastle upon Tyne town defences: section of curtain wall including Closegate and Water Tower (0.3 km), Newcastle upon Tyne town defences: section of curtain wall and town ditch between Forth Street and Hanover Street (0.4 km), DUNSTON STAITHS (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Newcastle Swing Bridge's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Newcastle Swing Bridge stands on Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.