Horkstow Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the New River Ancholme near the village of

Horkstow Horkstow is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England, south-west from Barton-upon-Humber, south from South Ferriby and north from Brigg. It lies on the B1204, and east from the navigable River Ancholme.

North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Bar ...

. It was designed by Sir John Rennie as part of the River Ancholme Drainage Scheme, completed in 1836, 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 ...

History and description

The

River Ancholme The River Ancholme is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the Humber. It rises at Ancholme Head, a spring just north of the village of Ingham and immediately west of the Roman Road, Ermine Street. It flows east and then north ...

rises south of Bishopbridge in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, flows northwards through the town of

Brigg Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in the 2001 UK census, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east–west tra ...

and the Ancholme Level, an area of

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich Groundwater, ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as ...

land, and enters the

Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between t ...

at Ferriby Sluice. Attempts were made to drain the wetland and improve the navigability of the river as early as the 13th century, and in the 1630s Sir John Monson constructed the first sluice gates near

South Ferriby South Ferriby is a village in North Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary and west from the Humber Bridge. North Ferriby is directly opposite on the Estuary's north bank. Village population was 651 in ...

and a new straight channel, the Ancholme Navigation, to drain the Level and protect the town of Brigg from flooding. A 1767 Act of Parliament authorised works towards "the more effectual draining the Lands lying in the Level of Ancholme" and making the river navigable as high as Bishopbridge, to be financed by a land tax and the imposition of tolls on goods carried. Two further Acts followed to enlarge the powers of the first. Under the 1825 Act, Sir John Rennie proposed the New River Ancholme Drainage Scheme, by which the navigation, or New River Ancholme, was straightened, widened and deepened, existing small bridges with many arches were replaced by single-span structures, and the

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

at Ferriby Sluice were enlarged. Horkstow Bridge, the only suspension bridge designed by Rennie, is one of several bridges built as part of that project. The ironwork was supplied by Messrs John and Edward Walker of Gospel Oak Ironworks,

Tipton Tipton is an industrial town in the West Midlands in England with a population of around 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham. Tipton was once one of the most heavily industrialised towns in the Black Country, w ...

, Staffordshire, and the bridge was completed in 1836 under the supervision of site engineer Adam Smith. At each end of the bridge are rusticated stone piers in the form of towers which form archways above the road. The single span measures from centre to centre of the masonry towers and the entrance to the bridge deck through the archways is wide. The deck is wide between the rails, surfaced with wooden planks, supported by

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

crossbeams suspended from double

wrought-iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" t ...

chains, and is distinctly arched. At normal water levels there is clearance beneath the bridge. It is about upstream from Ferriby Sluice and links the villages of

, east of the river, and Winterton on the west. A ferry had previously connected the villages, and it is believed a bridge had occupied the site from the 18th century, providing access to the brick-making

kilns A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay in ...

located on the Winterton side. The bridge is open to vehicles, but movement can be felt even under pedestrian traffic. It can be approached from the east via Bridge Lane, a narrow road which leaves the B1204 just north of Horkstow, but on the west bank only a dirt track remains. Horkstow is one of "only a handful" of early suspension bridges in Britain to remain as originally designed, but it has not survived completely unscathed. In 1979, repairs were needed after the

tractor unit A tractor unit (also known as a truck unit, power unit, prime mover, ten-wheeler, semi-tractor, tractor truck, semi-truck, tractor cab, truck cab, tractor rig, truck rig or big rig or simply a tractor, truck, semi or rig) is a characteristical ...

of a 23-ton articulated lorry fell through into the river, destroying a quarter of the bridge deck and damaging the attached suspension rods, though the rest of the structure remained intact. In the 1990s, the bridge was strengthened – the deck relaid using a tropical hardwood timber to support a 5 t load and the underground parts of the suspension chains replaced with high-tensile bars – while retaining its appearance and functionality. The works earned engineers C Spencer Ltd a commendation in the 1999

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, whi ...

Historic Bridge Awards. Although open to motor traffic, it is mostly used by ramblers, cyclists and anglers. It is owned by the Environment Agency, and in September 1979 was

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

at Grade II*, a grading which covers "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". The site of the former brickyard is a

Site of Nature Conservation Interest Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) and regionally important geological site (RIGS) are designations used by local authorities in the United Kingdom for sites of substantive local nature ...

References

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English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

, access-date=19 August 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126151823/http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/listing/listed-buildings , archive-date=26 January 2013 {{Cite book, editor1-first=E. A. , editor1-last=Labrum , title=Civil engineering heritage, eastern and central England , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Offfz1NSDt0C&pg=PA48 , date=1 February 1993 , publisher=Thomas Telford , isbn=0-7277-1970-X , pages=48–51 {{Cite web, url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1214853&resourceID=5 , title=Horkstow Suspension Bridge , publisher=Heritage Gateway , access-date=29 July 2011 {{Cite book, editor-first=Charles, F.G.S , editor-last=Manby , title=Minutes of proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers , volume=4 , chapter=No. 715. An account of the Drainage of the Level of Ancholme, Lincolnshire. , chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0XcMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA186 , last=Rennie , first=Sir John, Pres.Inst.C.E. , year=1845 , publisher=

, pages=198–99 {{Cite web, url=http://www.fenswaterways.com/Portals/0/docs/navigation_guides/Ancholme_Navigation_Guide.pdf , title=The River Ancholme: a guide for river users , publisher= Environment Agency , year=2008 , access-date=27 September 2009 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710235118/http://www.fenswaterways.com/Portals/0/docs/navigation_guides/Ancholme_Navigation_Guide.pdf , archive-date=10 July 2011 {{Cite news, title=History in the remaking , url=http://www.nce.co.uk/history-in-the-remaking/838942.article , magazine=

New Civil Engineer ''New Civil Engineer'' is the monthly magazine for members of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the UK chartered body that oversees the practice of civil engineering in the UK. First published in May 1972, it is today published by Metropoli ...

, publisher= EMAP , date=18 November 1999 , access-date=27 September 2009 , url-access=subscription {{Cite web, url=http://www.northlincs.com/horkstow/bridge.htm , title=Horkstow Bridge – North Lincolnshire , publisher=North Lincolnshire Community Website , access-date=27 September 2009 {{Cite book, first=Joseph , last=Priestley , title=Historical account of the navigable rivers, canals, and railways, throughout Great Britain , url=http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/sdoc.php?wpage=PNRC0001 , format=reprint , publisher=Jim Shead , pages=20–23 , year=1831 , access-date=29 July 2011 {{Cite book, first=H. , last=Ambarchian , chapter=Horkstow Suspension Bridge , editor1-first=M. J. , editor1-last=Ryall , editor2-first=J. E. , editor2-last=Harding , editor3-first=G. A. R. , editor3-last=Parke , title=Bridge management 4: inspection, maintenance, assessment and repair, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vSZAnyWpzDcC&pg=PA696 , year=2000 , publisher=Thomas Telford , isbn=978-0-7277-2854-8 , pages=696–98 {{Cite web, url=http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/river.php?wpage=ANCH , title=River Ancholme , publisher=Jim Shead , access-date=27 September 2009 {{Cite news , title=Treasure trove of best in district , newspaper=

Scunthorpe Telegraph The ''Scunthorpe Telegraph'' is a local paid-for newspaper published and distributed weekly in Scunthorpe, England. It was launched on 8 September 1937. Prior to the ''Scunthorpe Telegraph''s launch, the town was served by the '' Grimsby Evening ...

, date=3 March 2009 , page=6

Gallery

File:Horkstow Bridge approached from east.jpg, Approached via Bridge Lane from the east File:Deck and western arch of Horkstow Bridge.jpg, Deck and western arch File:Horkstow Bridge from the west.jpg, Approached from the west File:Horkstow Bridge from beneath.jpg, From beneath, showing crossbeams and hangers Suspension bridges Bridges in Lincolnshire Bridges completed in 1836 Grade II* listed buildings in North Lincolnshire Grade II* listed bridges in England