Whitby Swing Bridge

{{Infobox bridge

| bridge_name = Whitby Swing Bridge

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| image = Closed bridge across the Esk at Whitby - geograph.org.uk - 1417069.jpg

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| caption = Whitby Swing Bridge

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| crosses = River Esk, North Yorkshire

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| designer = J Mitchell Moncrieff

| engineering = Heenan & FroudeThe Electrical review: Volume 69. 1911

| design = Swing bridge

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| mainspan = 75 ft

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| load = 7.5 tons

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| begin = 1908

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| cost = £22,582 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|22582|1909|{{Inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} as of {{Inflation-year|UK}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}

| open = 1909

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| coordinates = {{coord|54.486914|-0.612701|display=inline,title}}

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Whitby Swing Bridge is a pedestrian and road bridge over the River Esk in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England.

History

The River Esk has been crossed by bridges at this location for centuries. A grant made by King Edward III in 1351 allowed the collection of pontage tolls for the maintenance of a bridge. By the mid 1550s the tolls averaged around £6 per annum (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|6|1559|{{Inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} as of {{Inflation-year|UK}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}History and topography of the city of York: and the North riding. T. Whellan and Co. 1859

In 1629 an agreement was made by the justices in the North Riding to replace a wooden bridge with one which included moving parts. This was later replaced by a drawbridge, built in 1766 at a cost of £3,000 ({{Inflation|UK|3,000|1766|fmt=eq|cursign=£|r=-3}}), and later in 1835, the first swing bridge was opened designed by Francis Pickernell.{{cite book |last1=Weatherill |first1=Richard |title=The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping, with some subjects of interest connected therewith |date=1908 |publisher=Horne |location=Whitby |page=14|oclc=6793956}}{{cite book |last1=Young |first1=George |title=A picture of Whitby and its environs |date=1840 |orig-date=1824 |publisher=Horne & Richardson |location=Whitby |page=181 |edition=2|oclc=221940476}}

Current bridge

File:Boats at Whitby 2016 006.jpg

By the early 20th century the limited {{convert|45|ft|m|adj=on}} clearance of the 1835 bridge was restricting the size of vessels which could be built upstream of the bridge. A replacement swing bridge was commissioned by Whitby Urban District Council. It was designed by J. Mitchell Moncrieff,The Electrical review: Volume 69. 1911{{cite web |url= http://www.whitbyswingbridge.co.uk/History.aspx |title=Whitby Swing Bridge - Celebrating 100 Years of Whitby's Swing Bridge |first=John |last=Freeman |accessdate=2 November 2011}} later President of the Institution of Structural Engineers. As work progressed on the west side of the river bank to set a pivot for the bridge to swing, a seam of coal {{convert|10|in}} thick was struck at {{convert|26|ft}} below the water level. The foundations had to be sunk to a depth of {{convert|32|ft}} below the low water mark for a secure foundation.{{cite news |title=Coal at Whitby |work=North-Eastern Daily Gazette |date=12 December 1908 |page=2|oclc=749266990}}

It was opened in July 1909 by Mabel Theresa Duncombe, the daughter of the Viscount of Helmsley and the wife of local MP, Sir Gervase Beckett. The bridge consists of two leaves moved independently by electric motors.{{cite web |title=Swing Bridge |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=899413&sort=4&search=all&criteria=whitby&rational=q&recordsperpage=10&p=26&move=p&nor=1074&recfc=0&resourceID=19191 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk |access-date=6 July 2023}}

The bridge originally carried the A171 road. To avoid congestion in the town centre, the road was diverted to a high level bridge over the Esk Valley built in 1980.{{cite news |last=Woodhouse|first=Bob |title=On the railway route to Ruswarp |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1682297149 |access-date=9 June 2024 |work=Middlesbrough Evening Gazette |date=22 May 2015|id={{ProQuest|1682297149}} |url-access=limited}}{{ProQuest|1682297149}}

The bridge is not wide enough for vehicles to pass, so vehicular access to the bridge is controlled by traffic lights. The bridge is opened to shipping either side of high tide, but is quickly closed again to allow for traffic movement.

Until 2011 the bridge had a weight limit of {{convert|17|tonnes}}. This was reduced to {{convert|7.5|tonne}} in 2011 by North Yorkshire County Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16478|title=Lower weight limit confirmed on Whitby swing bridge|date=18 May 2011|publisher=North Yorkshire County Council|accessdate=25 June 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531204308/http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16478|archivedate=31 May 2012}}

In 2023 it was announced that the local council would be closing the bridge to traffic, with the exception of buses, during peak times in spring and summer. This was said to be to "address safety concerns around overcrowding".{{cite web |title=Whitby swing bridge to close to traffic in spring and summer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-65139794 |website=BBC News |access-date=3 April 2023 |date=1 April 2023}}

{{River item box

|River = Esk

|upstream = A171 road bridge

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|downstream = none

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|thisis = Whitby Swing Bridge

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