List of bridges in Cambridge
Encyclopedia
The following is a list and brief history of the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

s in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, principally those over the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...

.

The River Cam enters Cambridge from the south west of the city and heads north past many of the historic colleges of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

 along the open area known as The Backs
The Backs
The Backs is an area to the east of Queen's Road in the city of Cambridge, England, where several colleges of the University of Cambridge back on to the River Cam, their grounds covering both banks of the river. The name "the Backs" refers to the backs of the colleges...

. After passing St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....

, it turns sharply and runs east, passing the weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...

 at Jesus Green and the boathouses alongside Midsummer Common
Midsummer Common
Midsummer Common is an area of common land in central Cambridge, UK. The Cambridge Midsummer Fair held on the common is one of the oldest fairs in the UK and at one point was among England's largest...

. Passing Chesterton, it turns north again and leaves the city, running a further 12 mi (19.3 km) before merging with the Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...

 at Pope's Corner to the south of Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...

.

Footbridge, Coe Fen

Links Coe Fen
Coe Fen
Coe Fen is a semi-rural meadowland area to the east of the River Cam in the south of the city of Cambridge, England. It lies at the back of Peterhouse to the north, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and The Leys School to the south. The fen is straddled by the Fen Causeway across the Cam...

 behind The Leys School
The Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...

 over a second small bridge to Lammas Land, near the area known as Hobson's Paradise. Also known as Sheep's Green bridge, it was closed in the second quarter of 2006 to replace the steps with ramps to make it easier for cyclists and prams to cross. The bridge decking
Deck (bridge)
A bridge deck or road bed is the roadway, or the pedestrian walkway, surface of a bridge. It is not to be confused with any deck of a ship.The deck may be of concrete,wood which in turn may be covered with asphalt concrete or other pavement...

 was also replaced.

Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway, Cambridge
Fen Causeway is a link road in the city of Cambridge, United Kingdom, constructed in the mid-1920s to ease the pressure on Silver Street. It forms part of the A1134 ring road. It links Newnham Road and Trumpington Road and spans the River Cam with Sheep's Green to the south and Coe Fen to the north...

 Bridge

The first road bridge that is reached as the river enters the city. The road was formally opened on 9 December 1926. The bridge is sometimes called the "Lesbian Bridge", from the nature of the graffiti sometimes written on its underside.

Crusoe Bridge

A footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...

 linking Sheep's Green and Coe Fen, and the final bridge on the 'Upper River' before it reaches the small weir at the mill pond
Mill pond
A mill pond is any body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam across a waterway. In many places, the common proper name Mill Pond name has remained even though the mill has long since gone...

.

Darwin College
Darwin College, Cambridge
Darwin College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Founded in 1964, Darwin was Cambridge University's first graduate-only college, and also the first to admit both men and women. The college is named after the family of one of the university's most famous graduates, Charles Darwin...

 Bridges

Two wooden bridge
Wooden bridge
A wooden bridge is a bridge that uses wood as a building medium. One of the first forms of bridges, the wooden bridge has been used since ancient times, among them the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden crossing upper Lake Zürich in Switzerland. The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the...

s within the college grounds connecting the main site with the college's two islands.

Silver Street Bridge (1958)

The site of bridges back to the 14th century. This wide bridge was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...

 in 1932.

Mathematical Bridge
Mathematical Bridge
The Mathematical Bridge is the popular name of a wooden footbridge across the River Cam, between two parts of Queens' College, Cambridge. Its official name is simply the Wooden Bridge....

, Queens' College
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...

 (1902)

This is the third version of the design, first built in 1749.

King's College
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....

 Bridge (1819)

The first bridge on the site was built in the 15th century, and has been rebuilt several times before the current incarnation, designed by William Wilkins
William Wilkins (architect)
William Wilkins RA was an English architect, classical scholar and archaeologist. He designed the National Gallery and University College in London, and buildings for several Cambridge colleges.-Life:...

 and built by Francis Braidwood.

Clare College
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...

 Bridge (1640)

The oldest of Cambridge's current bridges, this bridge in classical style was built in 1639–40 by Thomas Grumbold (d.1659) It survives as the oldest due to all its contemporaries being destroyed by the Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...

 forces in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...

, to make the town of Cambridge more defensible. Many different stories are told to explain the missing section of the globe second from the left on the south side of the bridge. One rumour is that the builder of the bridge received (what he considered to be) insufficient payment, and in his anger, removed a segment of the globe; another is that complete bridges were subject to a tax at the time it was built, and the missing segment made the bridge incomplete and hence untaxed.

Garret Hostel Bridge (1960)

At least the eighth bridge on this site on Garret Hostel Lane between the colleges of Trinity
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

 and Trinity Hall
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...

. The current design is by T. G. Morgan.

Students of the University of Cambridge often refer to this bridge as Orgasm Bridge, with a possible explanation for the name: its relative steepness causes cyclists much effort to reach the top but this is followed by the pleasurable descent.

Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

 Bridge (1764)

Designed by James Essex
James Essex
-Professional life:Essex was the son of a builder who had fitted the sash windows and wainscot in the Senate House , under James Gibbs; and also worked on the hall of Queens' College, Cambridge . He died in February 1749....

, it replaced a stone bridge built in 1651.

Kitchen Bridge, St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....

 (1709-11)

The second oldest of Cambridge's remaining bridges, built by Robert Grumbold (1639-1720) according to designs by Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...

. The bridge was crafted from a single block of limestone, carved to give the appearance of masonry.

Bridge of Sighs
Bridge of Sighs (Cambridge)
The Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge is a covered bridge belonging to St John's College of Cambridge University. It was built in 1831 and crosses the River Cam between the college's Third Court and New Court. The architect was Henry Hutchinson....

, St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....

 (1831)

Probably Cambridge's best-known bridge, designed by Henry Hutchinson
Henry Hutchinson
Henry Hutchinson was an English architect who partnered with Thomas Rickman in December 1821 to form the Rickman and Hutchinson architecture practice, in which he stayed until his death in 1831. Hutchinson was born on October 16, 1800, in Ticknall, Derbyshire. He partnered with Rickman after he...

 and based on a similarly named bridge in Venice
Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs is a bridge in Venice, northern Italy . The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone and has windows with stone bars. It passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace...

, although the only real similarity between them is that they are both covered bridges over waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...

s.. A bridge in Oxford
Bridge of Sighs (Oxford)
Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs, is a skyway over New College Lane in Oxford, England.- Misnomer and myth :The bridge is often referred to as the Bridge of Sighs because of its supposed similarity to the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice...

, also nicknamed "The Bridge of Sighs" but more reminiscent of the Rialto Bridge
Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.- History :...

, links two sites of Hertford College, but it bridges New College Lane
New College Lane
New College Lane is a historic street in central Oxford, England, named after New College, one of the older Oxford colleges, adjacent to the north....

 rather than a river or canal.

Magdalene Bridge (1823)

Named after Magdalene College
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...

, which stands nearby. It is very close to the location of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 ford (around 40 AD), and the location of the first bridge in Cambridge (probably built by Offa
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...

 in the 8th century).

The latest bridge was designed by Arthur Browne in Gothic revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

 style and was rebuilt in the same style in 1982.

Jesus Lock footbridge (1892)

An iron bridge over the weir that divides the 'Middle River' from the 'Lower River', where punting
Punt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...

 gives way to rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

.

Victoria Avenue Bridge
Victoria Avenue Bridge
Victoria Avenue Bridge is a single-arch road bridge across the River Cam in Cambridge, England. Immediately to the north is Chesterton Road and a major junction with Victoria Road and Milton Road....

 (1890)

Allowed the residents of Chesterton easy access to the city for the first time. The foundation stone was laid by Frederic Wace, mayor of Cambridge, on 4 November 1889 and the bridge was officially opened by Wace on 11 December 1890. The bridge was rebuilt for strengthening in 1992.

Footbridge, Midsummer Common

Also known as the "Fort St George
Fort St George In England
The Fort St George In England is the oldest public house on the River Cam in Cambridge, England.The Grade II listed timber framed building on Midsummer Common dates in part from the 16th century, and although "much altered and enlarged over the years, still has considerable charm...

" footbridge after the neighbouring public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

. This bridge is now open for use by cyclists.

Cutter Ferry Bridge

A pedestrian and cycle bridge that links Cutter Ferry Lane with Midsummer Common. The original footbridge was closed in 2003 after over 75 years of service, and removed during December 2004. The replacement, over which cyclists may now legally cycle, was opened on 20 May 2005.

Also known by Cambridge residents as Pye's Bridge because of the one-time nearby Pye electronics factory, and by student rowers as Emma Bridge because of its proximity to Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...

 Boathouse.

Elizabeth Way Bridge (1971)

A plain four-carriageway concrete bridge, opened by Lord Butler
Rab Butler
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...

 in his capacity as High Steward
High Steward (academia)
The High Steward in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is a once-important but now largely ceremonial university official...

 of Cambridge on 13 July 1971, this is Cambridge's most recent road bridge. The opening caused a few minutes of embarrassment when Lord Butler's golden scissors failed to cut the ribbon across the road. The bridge forms part of Elizabeth Way
Elizabeth Way, Cambridge
Elizabeth Way is a road in northeast Cambridge, England. It is designated the A1134 and forms part of Cambridge's inner ring road. At the northern end is a roundabout forming a junction with Milton Road...

 (A1134).

Riverside Bridge (2008)

Construction work began on a new foot and cycle bridge between Chesterton and Riverside in April 2007. It opened to the public on 5 June 2008.

Footbridge, Stourbridge Common

Known to locals as the "Green Dragon Bridge" after the pub opposite its northern end. Also known to student rowers as 'Chesterton Footbridge' as it crosses over what they know as 'Chesterton Corner'.

Railway Bridge

Crosses the river through east Chesterton, south of the A14 bridge. It is the third railway bridge to be built on this site, replacing a plain plate girder bridge
Plate girder bridge
A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or more plate girders. The plate girders are typically I-beams made up from separate structural steel plates , which are welded or, in older bridges, bolted or riveted together to form the vertical web and horizontal flanges of the beam...

 which stood on the site between 1870 and 1930, which itself replaced a wooden bridge built in 1846.

A14 Bridge

Known (incorrectly) to rowers and others as the "Motorway Bridge". Crosses the river just south of Baits Bite Lock. This bridge is also sometimes referred to as 'Bovis Bridge'.

Footbridge over the weir, Baits Bite Lock 

An elevated footbridge crosses Baits Bite Lock in Milton
Milton, Cambridgeshire
Milton is a village just north of Cambridge, England. It has a population of approximately 4,300 with 3,200 being on the electoral register. It expanded considerably in the late 1980s when two large housing estates were built between the bypass and the village resulting in a doubling of the...

 to a narrow islet. A concrete-arch footbridge then crosses the weir to the east bank near Horningsea
Horningsea
Horningsea is a small village north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England. The parish covers an area of 6.63 km. It lies on the east bank of the River Cam, and on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe...

.

Other bridges

  • The Tony Carter bridge is a covered cycle bridge over the railway just north of Cambridge railway station
    Cambridge railway station
    Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...

     opened in 1989. It was listed at the time in the Guinness Book of Records
    Guinness World Records
    Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

     as the world's longest covered cycle bridge. It is named after a Labour
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

     councillor of the era.
  • The Jane Coston bridge was opened over the A14 in 2004, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to cross from Cowley Road to Milton
    Milton, Cambridgeshire
    Milton is a village just north of Cambridge, England. It has a population of approximately 4,300 with 3,200 being on the electoral register. It expanded considerably in the late 1980s when two large housing estates were built between the bypass and the village resulting in a doubling of the...

    . It has a central span of 77 m (252.6 ft).
  • Coldham's Lane bridge is a cycle and pedestrian bridge over the railway on the south side of Coldham's Lane. It is not a particularly effective route for cyclists, especially those travelling south east.
  • The Newmarket Road
    Newmarket Road, Cambridge
    Newmarket Road is an arterial road in the east of Cambridge, England. It is designated the A1134 at the western end, linked by a roundabout forming a junction with Barnwell Road to the south. The eastern end links with the city's inner ring road at another roundabout, with Elizabeth Way to the...

     Bridge
    , the Mill Road
    Mill Road, Cambridge
    Mill Road is a street in southeast Cambridge, England. It runs southeast from near to Parker's Piece, at the junction with Gonville Place, East Road, and Parkside. It crosses the main railway line and links to the city's ring road . It passes through the wards of Petersfield and Romsey, which are...

     Bridge
    near Cambridge Station, the Hills Road
    Hills Road, Cambridge
    This article is about the street. For the Sixth Form College commonly known as "Hills Road", see Hills Road Sixth Form CollegeHills Road is an arterial road in southeast Cambridge, England...

     Bridge
    and the Long Road Bridge are other bridges over the railway.
  • Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
    Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
    The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway , branded the busway , is a public transport scheme connecting the population centres of Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives in the English county of Cambridgeshire...

    : A14 bridge, Hills Road Bridge, Long Road Bridge, Shelford Road Bridge and Hauxton Road Bridge on usurped former railway lines, plus a new Addenbrooke's Bridge leading over the railway line to the hospital.

See also


Mapping

Footbridge, Coe Fen, 52°11′42.95"N 000°06′58.85"EFen Causeway Bridge, 52°11′50.76"N 000°07′06.15"ECrusoe Bridge, 52°11′53.55"N 000°07′03.95"EDarwin College Bridges, 52°12′02.83"N 000°06′51.72"ESilver Street Bridge, 52°12′06.77"N 000°06′55.27"EMathematical Bridge, 52°12′07.87"N 000°06′54.15"EKing's College Bridge, 52°12′13.55"N 000°06′50.78"EClare College Bridge, 52°12′17.96"N 000°06′50.77"EGarret Hostel Bridge, 52°12′21.02"N 000°06′50.34"ETrinity College Bridge, 52°12′23.94"N 000°06′49.97"EKitchen Bridge, 52°12′29.00"N 000°06′56.31"EBridge of Sighs, 52°12′30.33"N 000°06′56.76"EMagdalene Bridge, 52°12′35.43"N 000°06′59.52"EJesus Lock footbridge, 52°12′46.28"N 000°07′14.30"E
Victoria Avenue Bridge, 52°12′47.98"N 000°07′32.53"EFootbridge, Midsummer Common, 52°12′44.65"N 000°07′42.25"ECutter Ferry Bridge, 52°12′37.41"N 000°08′03.81"EElizabeth Way Bridge, 52°12′40.03"N 000°08′12.24"ERiverside Bridge, 52°12′48"N 000°08′34.25"EFootbridge, Stourbridge Common, 52°13′02.72"N 000°08′45.35"ERailway Bridge, 52°13′12.84"N 000°09′23.15"EA14 Bridge, 52°13′56.56"N 000°10′16.27"EFootbridge over the weir, Baits Bite Lock, 52°14′11.03"N 000°10′28.23"ETony Carter bridge, 52°11′45.04"N 000°08′20.94"EJane Coston bridge, 52°14′11.86"N 000°09′21.20"EColdham's Lane bridge, 52°12′25.65"N 000°08′49.65"ENewmarket Road Bridge, 52°12′48.86"N 000°09′06.35"EMill Road Bridge, 52°11′55.22"N 000°08′27.56"EHills Road Bridge, 52°11′26.40"N 000°08′06.19"ELong Road Bridge, 52°10′46.54"N 000°07′50.45"E
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