Tadcaster Bridge or Wharfe Bridge spans the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. The road bridge is believed to date from around 1700. It is the main route connecting the two sides of the town and one of two road crossings in the town, the other being the bridge for the A64 bypass. Tadcaster Bridge partially collapsed on 29 December 2015 after flooding that followed Storm Eva, and reopened on 3 February 2017.[1][2][3]
Tadcaster Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in June 2018 | |
| Coordinates | 53°53′06″N 1°15′35″W / 53.885007°N 1.259851°W |
| Carries | A659 |
| Crosses | River Wharfe |
| Locale | Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England |
| Official name | Wharfe Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Bridge |
| Material | Magnesian Limestone |
| No. of spans | 5 |
| Piers in water | 3 |
| History | |
| Opened | c. 1700 |
| Closed | 2015 Re-opened 3 February 2017 |
| Location | |
 | |
History edit
The first bridge is believed to have been constructed around 1200, using stone from Tadcaster Castle, and the current bridge was built around 1700. Each of its seven bays has a cutwater and arch supporting the roadway and parapet.[4] Built of Magnesian Limestone, the bridge was widened in the 19th century on the upstream side. It was listed at Grade II on 12 July 1985.[4]
The bridge was temporarily closed after flooding in 2012.[5]
Partial collapse and repair edit
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Concerns for public safety led to the bridge closing to pedestrians and traffic on 26 December 2015. The town started to flood the same day as a result of heavy rainfall following Storm Eva, and on the evening of 29 December the bridge partially collapsed. It caused the gas main to fracture and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents.[1][6] Without use of the bridge, traffic could cross the river only via the A64, which required a long detour. Pedestrians could cross the river using the Tadcaster Viaduct.
In early 2016, Historic England carried out an assessment of the significance of the Grade-II listed bridge to inform its restoration, revealing that the bridge had been widened in 1791, expanding a structure built in 1698 that had replaced an earlier one.[7]
The bridge repair took thirteen months at a cost of £4.4 million. The provision of an adjacent temporary pedestrian footbridge was deemed essential.[8] Following a refusal by Samuel Smith's Brewery to allow a temporary footbridge to be built on its land,[9] an alternative site was found using land owned by Selby District Council and Tadcaster Town Council. Tadcaster Albion Football Club allowed access across its car park for people to reach the footbridge.[10]
The bridge reopened on 3 February 2017. The reconstruction work was funded jointly by the UK government, which contributed £3 million, and a Local Enterprise Partnership which contributed £1.4 million.[3]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "UK floods: Moment Tadcaster bridge collapsed". BBC News. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ "Watch: bridge collapses in flood-hit Britain". Times of Malta. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Tadcaster united again as flood-stricken bridge reopens". The Guardian. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b Historic England (12 July 1985). "Wharfe Bridge (1132471)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- ^ "Tadcaster divided as floods force River Wharfe bridge closure". BBC News. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ Tran, Mark; Gayle, Damien; Quinn, Ben (29 December 2015). "Storm Frank: Tadcaster Evacuated as Bridge Partially Collapses". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ Jecock, M & Jessop, L (2016). "Tadcaster Bridge, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire: Assessment of Significance. Historic England Research Report 27/2016". research.historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Collapsed Tadcaster bridge repairs 'to cost £3m'". BBC News. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Landowner 'blocks' temporary Tadcaster bridge plan". BBC News. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ "Footbridge solution for flood-divided Tadcaster". BBC News. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
External links edit
- "Tadcaster Bridge, North Yorkshire: Investigation, history and significance" – a report to Historic England, February 2016
