The bridges over the Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead

Map of 7 locations in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Seven crossings within about a mile of river, built across 135 years and still all in service: a Victorian double-decker carrying trains over a road, a hydraulic span that rotates on an artificial island, a steel arch that became the region's shorthand. The dates and the listings are on the record, from Historic England's own entries to the councils' restoration budgets. Read together they are a working timeline of what the Tyne Gorge was asked to carry, from Stephenson's railway to the Metro and the cyclists.

Places in this collection

  • Redheugh Bridge — The current pre-stressed concrete road bridge, the third on the site, was opened on 18 May 1983 by the Princess of Wales; the first crossin…
  • Queen Elizabeth II Bridge — Opened in 1981 by Queen Elizabeth II, this steel truss bridge carries the Tyne and Wear Metro over the river, with the line emerging from t…
  • Gateshead Millennium Bridge — Completed in 2001 and lifted into position by floating crane, this pedestrian and cycle crossing tilts on six hydraulic rams so that shippi…
  • King Edward VII Bridge — Opened on 10 July 1906, this steel truss bridge carries the East Coast Main Line across the Tyne and relieved the congested approaches to N…
  • Swing Bridge — Built by Sir W.G. Armstrong's company to replace the 1781 stone bridge demolished in 1868, this span was designed to let larger ships reach…
  • High Level Bridge — Robert Stephenson's bridge, built between 1846 and 1849, was the first structure to span the Tyne Gorge, and it does two jobs at once: rail…
  • Tyne Bridge — Opened on 10 October 1928 by King George V, this through arch was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson and built by Dorman Long of Middlesbro…

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