Prebends Bridge, along with
Framwellgate and
Elvet bridges, is one of three stone-
arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...
s in the centre of
Durham,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, that cross the
River Wear
The River Wear (, ) in North East England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At long, it is one of the region's longest rivers, wends in a steep valley through th ...
.
History
Prebends Bridge was designed by George Nicholson and built from 1772 to 1778. The bridge was built on the instructions of the Dean of Durham and served as a private road for the Dean and Chapter of Durham, giving access from the south through the Watergate.
It replaced a temporary bridge built after the footbridge, built in 1574, was swept away during a
flood in 1771. The current bridge affords an excellent view of the cathedral and was built specifically with aesthetic considerations in mind - it was built slightly north of the prior bridge, at a wider part of the river, to improve the views available. Trees were planted along the riverbank to complete the Romantic picture.
Forming part of the estate of
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...
, the bridge is a Grade 1
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 ...
and is situated below the Watergate at the end of South Bailey (with which it is in concurrence), just after
St Cuthbert's Society
St Cuthbert's Society, colloquially known as Cuth's, is a college of Durham University. It was founded in 1888 for students who were not attached to the existing colleges. St Cuthbert's Society is a Bailey college, based on Durham's peninsula next ...
. Although the bridge is wide enough for vehicles, it is mainly used as a footbridge as it only leads to the Riverside paths and up to a closed road barrier to South Bailey. The bridge was restored from 1955 to 1956.
In autumn 2010 the bridge was temporarily reopened to road traffic under 3 tonnes while Saddler Street was closed because of extensive repaving works as part of the Heart of the City project, sponsored by Durham City Vision.
Plaque
Prebends Bridge has a plaque to display Sir
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...
's words about Durham:
lay-by
A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway servi ...
(originally used as a meeting place for wide vehicular traffic) on the left.
File:Prebends Bridge crossing 2013 January.jpg, A pedestrian crosses Prebends Bridge in winter
References
{{reflist
External links
Durham City Tourism
54.771, -1.5793
Bridges across the River Wear
Bridges completed in 1778
Bridges in County Durham
Buildings and structures in Durham, England
Grade I listed bridges
Durham, Prebends