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The Cliff Bridge, previously known as the Spa Bridge, is a
By only the next year, it was completed, though despite its fast speed of construction, it came at a cost of around £7,000 (), double the original estimate. An opening ceremony was held on 19 July 1827, during which a 
Cliff Bridge is recorded in the
The Cliff Bridge, previously known as the Spa Bridge, is a footbridge
A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
in Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
, England. Spanning the valley from St Nicholas Cliff to The Spa, it was completed in 1827 and is a Grade II listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
The bridge has four segmental braced iron arches on plain tapering stone piers with stone abutments; its walkway is long. It is a rare example of a multiple-span cast iron bridge.
History
With the discovery ofspa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...
waters in Scarborough in the 17th century, the southern part of the town began to receive thousands of visitors. However, although it was easy to access the Spa from the South Bay seafront, a steep descent was required to reach it from the St Nicholas Cliff area of the town.
To give access to original "Spaw" and its mineral spring, the new Cliff Bridge Company was formed in 1826 to lease the Spa from the corporation to maximise its commercial potential by erecting an elegant iron footbridge to span the chasm of the valley from St Nicholas Cliff to the Spa. It is above the valley, long and wide.
By only the next year, it was completed, though despite its fast speed of construction, it came at a cost of around £7,000 (), double the original estimate. An opening ceremony was held on 19 July 1827, during which a mail coach
A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...
was pulled by horses at high speed across the bridge. Much used, it soon became a toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge where a monetary charge (or ''toll'') is required to pass over. Generally the private or public owner, builder and maintainer of the bridge uses the toll to recoup their investment, in much the same way as a toll road. ...
, with a booth erected at the St Nicholas Cliff end of the bridge. For regular users, season ticket
A season ticket, or season pass, is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.
History
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' has illustrative quotations which show the term ''season ticket'' used in the United States in 1820 ...
s were available allowing unlimited access to the bridge and Spa for one, two or four week periods.
In 1951, the Corporation of Scarborough purchased the bridge, removing the tolls and demolishing the toll booth.
Cliff Bridge is recorded in the National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, an ...
as a Grade II listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, having been designated on 22 December 1953. Grade II is the lowest of the three grades of listing, and is applied to "buildings that are nationally important and of special interest".
The bridge was closed to the public from November 2009 through to April 2010 for a £700,000 general renovation
Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, ...
project, including new timber beams spanning the full width of the bridge, replacement of the main bridge deck and refurbishment and repainting of all metal components. The bridge refurbishment made North Yorkshire County Council
North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) is the county council governing the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire; an area composing most of North Yorkshire in England. The council currently consists of 90 councillors. The council is current ...
one of three principal winners in the 2011 Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Awards.
References
{{coord, 54.2791, -0.3983, display=title Bridges in North Yorkshire Bridges completed in 1827 1827 establishments in England Grade II listed buildings in North Yorkshire Grade II listed bridges Buildings and structures in Scarborough, North Yorkshire Pedestrian bridges in England