Photographs Of Newcastle: Corbridge Bridge and River Tyne

Corbridge Bridge is a 17th-century stone bridge across the River Tyne at Corbridge, Northumberland, England.

The bridge used to carry the A68 road over the River Tyne, but since the opening of the Hexham bypass (A69) the A68 now crosses by the Styford Bridge, 3 miles (5 km) downstream of Corbridge. It is listed as a Grade I building by Historic England.

The seven-arched bridge was completed in 1674 and is the sole bridge from source to mouth of the Tyne to remain standing after the severe flood of 1771. Originally built for pack-horse and coach traffic, it was widened in 1881.

The bridge at Corbridge was built in 1235. In 1298 royal officers went to Corbridge to purchase horseshoes and nails, and the tariff imposed to raise money for upkeep of the medieval bridge included tolls on nails of different kinds, horseshoes, cartwheel-sheaths, griddles, iron cauldrons and vats. The bridge was the great asset of the town. Described in 1306 as the only bridge between Newcastle and Carlisle, it was maintained also as a link between England and Scotland. In 1674 it was replaced by the seven-arched bridge we see today. So well did the builder of this bridge execute his contract that his was the only one on the Tyne to withstand the famous flood of 1771.
In 1881 it was widened by 3 ft (1 m) but its appearance was not spoilt.

Description courtesy of Wikipedia.