Heritage weekend… NEWCASTLE

Looking down the River Tyne, you are met with one of the definitive images of the North-East: Newcastle’s seven bridges, in various shapes and colours, stretching over the landscape. Whether you arrive by foot, road or rail, one of these arches will provide you with access to the city.

The first bridge, built in 122 AD, was a wooden structure on stone piers, designed to provide vital access during the building of Hadrian’s wall, remains of which can be seen throughout the city. The bridge, named Pons Aelius, was later joined by a fort and a settlement. Over the subsequent centuries, the Tyne saw many bridges come and go, including the iconic Tyne bridge, opened by King George V and Queen Mary in 1928. The most recent addition is the Gateshead