Royal Border Bridge Royal Border Bridge Royal Border Bridge, Berwick upon Tweed Archive/Image Reference Tweed Contract South Abutment &c of the Tweed viaduct Did you know? The Royal Border Bridge is actually located entirely in England. The East Coast Main Line crosses the English - Scottish border at Marshall Meadows, which is 2.5 miles north of Berwick. The Royal Border Bridge was the last link in completing a continuous railway line running between London and Edinburgh. Designed by Robert Stephenson, the bridge was a more traditional masonry structure than its contemporaries the High Level and Britannia bridges, but it is one that has stood the test of time. By July 1847 the lines from Edinburgh to Berwick (North British Railway) and from Tweedmouth to Newcastle (Newcastle & Berwick Railway) had been opened. The journey between stations at Berwick on one side of the Tweed and Tweedmouth on the other was undertaken by a horse drawn coach. On 15 May 1847 the Newcastle and Berwick Railway laid the foundation stone for a bridge crossing the Tweed which would link Tweedmouth with Berwick.

Design & construction The bridge, known initially at the ‘Tweed Viaduct’, was designed by Robert Stephenson, assisted by Thomas E Harrison. Contractors McKay & Blackstock were appointed and George Barclay Bruce, a Newcastle-born former apprentice of Robert Stephenson, was chosen to be the Newcastle & Berwick’s resident engineer, overseeing the day to day work. Not restricted by issues of navigation, the bridge Stephenson designed was a conventional masonry structure which consisted of 28 semicircular arches each of 61½ ft (19m) span, arranged in a gentle curve. 13 arches spanned the river with 15 over land to the south of the river at Tweedmouth. The bridge has a central abutment pier which enabled all 15 land arches to be completed before work started on the arches over the river. Piles for the pier foundations in the riverbed had to penetrate almost 40ft (12m) of dense gravel before reaching bedrock.

The bridge was constructed using 8million cubic feet (227,000 cu m) of stone, with the exception of the inner part of the arches which required 2½ million bricks set in cement and faced with stone. The structure has a total length of 2,160ft (656m), a maximum height of 126ft (38m) above the river, while the rails are carried at a height of 120ft (37m). At the height of construction, the workforce numbered 2,700 men. As work on the Royal Border Bridge started, both Robert Stephenson and Thomas Harrison were heavily involved with the High Level Bridge in Newcastle. Many of the techniques employed in the construction of that bridge were employed in crossing the Tweed. To help with the works and to get the railway moving across the river without having to wait for the permanent structure to be completed, a temporary wooden bridge was built to the east and immediately alongside the line of the permanent structure which was opened to rail traffic in September 1848. The foundation piles for the Royal Border Bridge were driven down to the bedrock also using Nasmyth’s new patent steam powered pile driver.

Opening & lifetime Although the permanent bridge had originally been scheduled for completion in July 1849, it was not ready for traffic until March 1850. The bridge was opened by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on 29 August 1850, when she also granted her permission for it to be named the Royal Border Bridge. In 1989 electrification gantries, specially designed to reduce the visual impact on the bridge and approved by the Royal Fine Art Commission, were installed on the bridge as part of the electrification of the line between London and Edinburgh. After standing for 143 years as a major part of the East Coast Mainline, the Royal Border Bridge underwent significant maintenance for the first time in 1993 in a project in partnership with English Heritage to repair the 15 land based arches. In 2010 to celebrate its 160th anniversary, the bridge was illuminated. Page first created: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Page last updated: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 1846 22 June: the Edinburgh to Berwick (North British Railway) line is opened.

1847 15 May: the foundation stone for the ‘Tweed Viaduct’ is laid. 1 July: the Newcastle to Tweedmouth (Newcastle & Berwick railway) line is opened. 1850 26 March: the bridge is completed and opened to traffic on the 20 July. The bridge is formally opened by Queen Victoria on 29 August and given the official title the ‘Royal Border Bridge’. The Royal Border Bridge becomes a Grade I listed structure. 1989 Specially designed electrification gantries are placed on the Royal Border Bridge as part of the electrification of the East Coast Main Line. - 1996. The first major repairs on the bridge in its history take place The bridge is illuminated for its 160th anniversary. Britannia Bridge, North Wales | Bridges and Viaducts The Britannia Bridge made use of Robert Stephenson’s iron tubular bridge design. When built it had the longest continuous wrought iron span in the world. Devastated by fire in 1970 the bridge was rebuilt using the masonry supports in Stephenson’s original structure.

Engineering Timelines - Royal Border Bridge Royal Border Bridge River Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, UK associated engineer date July 1845 - 29th August 1850 era Victorian | category Bridge | reference NT991531 ICE reference number HEW 20 photo PHEW The railway viaduct known as Royal Border Bridge was the last link in the east coast rail line from London to Edinburgh. Completed later than the line itself, the bridge was opened in August 1850 by Queen Victoria. Royal Border Bridge was commissioned as part of the Newcastle & Berwick Railway line, along with the High Level Bridge in Newcastle. Robert Stephenson was the railway's engineer, though most of the line engineering was undertaken by Thomas Harrison under Stephenson's supervision. However, Stephenson himself took a more hands-on role with the bridges, though the details are most likely by others. He took particular care with foundation design. For the Royal Border Bridge, piles were driven down to bedrock through 12m of very dense gravel using a patent Nasmyth steam-powered pile-driver. Deep cofferdams were used and a series of pumps required to keep the water out of them.

The viaduct is built on a curve and consists of 28 arches, set out in two groups separated by a stop pier � 15 arches over land south of the river and 13 over water. The whole is constructed in masonry with brickwork soffits (under-sides of the arches) covered by stone cladding. Each span measures 18.6m and the whole bridge is 658m long. The greatest height over the bed of the river is 38.4m. The bridge contract covered a one mile length of line � the non-masonry sections consist of earth embankments. The 15 land arches were completed first, along with the stop pier, which acted as a buttress during the construction of the remaining arches. The piers were shaped at water level in such a way that ice sheets in the river would be broken up on contact with the bridge, a process helped by the embedding of iron bars in the masonry. This feature was covered by later alterations to the piers to cater for an extra rail track. The Newcastle & Berwick Railway was formed in 1845 and construction began almost immediately, in July of that year.

The line was completed, except for the bridges, in July 1847. Temporary timber viaducts were used in the meantime. York's railway tycoon, George Hudson, amalgamated the N&BR with the York & Newcastle Railway, forming the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway with Stephenson as chief engineer. Stephenson was now engineer for the entire London to Berwick main line. There are four other viaducts on the line � Alnmouth, Coquet, Bothal and Plessey. Assistant engineer: Thomas Elliot Harrison Resident engineer: (Sir) George B. Bruce Contractors: James McKay, J. Blackstock bibliography "Robert Stephenson � The Eminent Engineer" edited by Michael R. Bailey Ashgate Publishing Ltd, Aldershot, Hampshire, 2003 Royal Border Bridge (C) DS Pugh :: Geograph Britain and Ireland Royal Border Bridge Royal Border Bridge spans the River Tweed between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth. It is a Grade I listed railway viaduct Link built between 1847 and 1850, when it was opened by Queen Victoria.

The engineer who designed it was Robert Stephenson (son of George Stephenson). It was built for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway and is still in regular use today, as part of the East Coast Main Line. The bridge is 659 metres long. It has 28 arches, constructed of brick but faced with stone. River Tweed The River Tweed is 97 miles long and flows generally west to east through the Scottish borders. It rises at Tweedsmuir and passes through small towns like Peebles, Selkirk, Melrose, Galashields and Kelso, before entering the North Sea at Berwick on Tweed. border photos on Flickr | Flickr 21 "The China–Kazakhstan border, or the Sino-Kazakhstan border (Kazakh: Қазақстан-Қытай мемлекеттiк шекарасы, Russian: Казахстанско-китайская государственная граница, Chinese: 中哈边界; pinyin: Zhōng-Hā biānjiè) is the international border between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The border line between the two countries has been largely inherited from the border existing between the USSR and the PRC, and, earlier, between the Russian Empire and the Qing Empire; however, it has been fully demarcated only in the late 20th and early 21st century. According to the international boundary commissions that have carried out the border demarcation, the border is 1782.75 km long." Wikipedia.

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Boswells in Scotland. Back to: Bridges of the River Tweed Bridges of the Tweed Berwick Bridge � Built 1611 to 1634 by James Burrell. 355 metres long and 5 metres wide.Has 15 red sandstone arches with cutwaters which carry Doric columns and busts. The arches are highest at the North end � 14 metres. Now only used one way for traffic. Royal Border Bridge � Built 1846 to 1849 by Robert Stephenson for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway, completing the linking of the East Coast Main Line. There are 28 high round arches in stone faced brick on stone piers. 38 metres above the Tweed. Opened, officially, by Queen Victoria in 1850 in a cermeony which lasted 12 minutes. Royal Tweed Bridge � Built 1925 to 1928 by L G Mouchel and Partners. Built to take much of the through traffic from Berwick Bridge. Four concrete spans � practical rather than beautiful.

Much of the traffic for which it was designed has now gone onto the Berwick bypass, avoiding the town altogether. Union Suspension Bridge at Horncliffe. Built 1819 to 1820 by Captain Samuel Brown RN. At the upper tidal limit of the River Tweed, on the site of a former ford which was normally passable. Advice on the building of the towers and abutments was sought from John Rennie. The roadway is timber suspended from pairs of wrought-iron chains with elongated bars connected by wrought iron. Brown invented the bar link and, by using it here, constructed what was, at the time, the longest suspension bridge at a quarter of the cost of a masonry equivalent. It is Europe's first and oldest surviving suspension which is still carrying road traffic. Coldstream Bridge � Built 1763 to 1766 by James Smeaton for the Tweed Bridges Trust. Seven arches with arch bands, triple keystones and battered semi-octagonal cutwaters. The main arches were all built to the same radius to save on shuttering costs. The spandrels have keyed oculi with with a dark flint infill.

The pilastered parapet was corbelled out to permit the widening of the roadway in 1960's. At the north end of the bridge is the Coldstream Marriage-house, where marriages took place from 1754 until 1856 without banns being called. Crossing from England to Scotland to marry, without notice, was commonplace � most of the records of such weddings still exist. The tolls were also collected there until the system was abandoned in 1826. Kelso Bridge � Built 1800 to 1803 by John Rennie. It has a level carriageway on five elliptical archways, the piers built on rounded cutwaters which carry paired engaged Doric columns. It replaced previous bridges which had been washed away, the last in 1797. At the west end of the bridge there are two cast-iron lamp standards whci were salvaged from Rennie's London Bridge, for which his Kelso Bridge is presumed to have been a model, when it was demolished in the 1930's.

At the town end is the Toll House which is single storey at the roadside, but has two further storeys below road level. This was the site of the Riot Act being read when objectors to the continuing tolls rioted in May 1854. Mertoun Bridge � Built 1839 � 1841 by James Slight. Originally built in timber with stone piers and abutments, the five segmental arches were a later addition to carry the main road. At the St Boswells end of the bridge is the toll-house much extended and altered. Mertoun Mill lies just upstream of the bridge, in an area still prone to flooding. Dryburgh Suspension Bridge The bridge was built to replace the ferry which crossed the Tweed at this point. The 11th Earl of Buchan opened the bridge, which he had commissioned, on 1st August 1817, but unfortunately it only lasted four months, before being blown away in January 1818. After reconsideration of the original design, a replacement was built, which lasted until 1838, when it, too, suffered from the forces of nature, and collapsed.

The present suspension bridge was built as its replacement, in 1872, with money donated by Lady Grizell Baillie to allow Dryburgh villagers to cross the river to attend church at St Boswells, or the Free Church at Newtown St Boswells. Drygrange Bridge � Built 1779 to 1780 by Alexander Stevens at a traditional crossing point of the River Tweed � it is thought the Romans may have used the same crossing. The central span of 31 metres was exceptional for its time. Now traffic free, with the building of a replacement, of box-girder construction, in 1971 � 1973 by Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners. Leaderfoot Railway Viaduct � Built 1865 by Charles Jopp & Messrs Wylie and Peddie for the Berwickshire Railway to carry the rail traffic to Duns and Reston. The 19 red sandstone arches, some 13 metres wide, stand up to 37 metres above the level of the River Tweed.

Became redundant with the closing of the line in 1948, after the floods of that year washed out many of the other bridges in Berwickshire. Now in the Guardianship of Historic Scotland, any thoughts of turning it into a bungee-jumping site have hopefully passed. Melrose Chain Bridge � Built 1826 by Redpath Brown and Co. Gothick pylons with corbelled and crenellated heads over pointed arched openings. Blacksmith forged iron chains and suspenders were combined by the Smith family of Darnick who did the actual construction work. Completely reconstructed in 1991, with a new deck which is out of keeping with the original design. The Toll House at the Melrose end is of the original date and probably also by Smith. Not open to vehicular traffic. Priorsford Suspension Bridge Peebles � Built 1905 as a result of public subscription. Downstream, was the original 33 metre suspension bridge built in 1817 for Sir John Hay which was washed away in the 1950's. Peebles Tweed Bridge original structure probably from 15th century.

Until the 18th century it was the only bridge crossing of the Tweed above Kelso. Rebuilt in 1663 using stone from the ruined St Andrew's Church, it had additional arches added in 1799, by John Hislop; it was widened twice - from 8ft to 21 ft in 1834 by John and Thomas Smith and from 21 ft to 40ft in 1900 by McTaggart, Cowan & Barker. All the widening can be clearly seen underneath. History of Railways in Northumberland - Waggonways History of Railways in Northumberland History of Railways in Northumberland This refers to the pre-1974 boundaries of Northumberland, after which North Tyneside Council became an independent local authority. Newcastle upon Tyne has been independent since the 1400s. Islandshire, Norhamshire and Bedlingtonshire were enclaves of Durham until 1844. National Grid references are shown to the nearest kilometre square. Please observe the COPYRIGHT of this website. Printing and copying should be for personal use only and NOT for commercial purposes.

Neptune Yard wooden waggonway found, July 2013, NZ3065 The waggonway appears to have run from Bigges Main Colliery to staiths on the Tyne. Daily Mail - Wooden waggonway built more than 200 years ago discovered near former colliery is 'oldest example of standard gauge railway ever found'. See the location on Google Street View and www-old-maps.co.uk 430000,565700 (click "Switch Print Extent Off") Plessey Wooden Waggonway ran from pits near Plessey Checks NZ2479 to Blyth NZ3181. It opened in the late 1600s and closed in 1813. The A192 road follows the route for a few miles. Maps of Blyth - Old Maps showing "Plessay Old Wagonway" on the 1:10,560 map of 1865, coordinates 431500_580800.

Blyth Hospital was built on the Station site, coordinates 431000_581600. Wylam Wooden Waggonway opened in 1748. It later had iron rails before closing in 1867. William Hedley built locomotives to haul coal from Wylam NZ1164 to the staiths at Lemington NZ1864. Puffing Billy of 1813 is at the Science Museum in London. Wylam Dilly of 1814 is at the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh. The course of the Tyne has since been altered to avoid the long loop at Lemington. Most of the Wylam Waggonway route was used by the Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway in 1875. George Stephenson's Cottage stands by the route near Wylam. Northumberland Communities - Wylam Killingworth Waggonway - C.R.Warn in his book Waggonways and Early Railways of Northumberland states that a wooden waggonway opened in 1764 from Killingworth Moor to Willington Quay.

Ordnance Survey shows an iron waggonway from Killingworth Old Pit NZ2870 to Killingworth Drops NZ3166 on the River Tyne. This waggonway reached Burradon Colliery NZ2772. George Stephenson's Dial Cottage NZ2770 was in Paradise Row near Killingworth Colliery at West Moor. Kitty's Drift was a tunnel of about 3 miles running from East Kenton to Scotswood. The north-eastern end of the tunnel has not been shown on this website, but could be in square NZ2267. Christopher Bedlington opened it in 1796 both to drain the mines and transport coal to the Tyne. The subterraneous tunnel is shown on the 1812 map by Robert Galloway. It ran to the west of the Montague Main waggonway. The Cyclopaedia of 1819 by Abraham Rees gives an account of visitors travelling in empty coal waggons down the tunnel. Coal was later diverted to the Kenton and Coxlodge waggonway which opened in 1808.

Shilbottle Colliery Railway opened in 1809 from Shilbottle Colliery NU1808 to Alnwick NU1912. It is shown on the 1828 map by Greenwood. The northern end of this route is still known as Waggon Way Road. There was also a tramway from Longdyke Pit NU2010 to Alnwick and a railway from Grange Pit NU2107 to the ECML NU2308. Northumberland Communities - Shilbottle Whitley Waggonway opened in 1811 from pits near Whitley Bay NZ3571 and ran to North Shields NZ3668. Most of the route was used by the Blyth and Tyne Railway in 1860. Backworth Waggonway opened in 1818 and ran from Backworth A Pit NZ3071 to Whitehill Point NZ3566 on the River Tyne. The waggonway was extended to Backworth B Pit NZ2972 and West Cramlington Colliery NZ2675.

Cramlington Waggonway ran from Cramlington Colliery (1825) NZ2876 to Cramlington Staiths NZ3366 on the River Tyne. There were branches to Amelia Pit NZ2778, Hartford Colliery NZ2679, Nelson Colliery NZ2677 and Dudley Colliery NZ2573. Northumberland Communities - Cramlington Seaton Burn Waggonway began in 1826 as the Brunton and Shields Railway, running from Brunton NZ2270 via Wideopen NZ2472, Hillhead Engine NZ2872 and Shiremoor Engine NZ3170 to Staiths NZ3366 on the River Tyne. It was extended from Wideopen Colliery to Seaton Burn Colliery NZ2374 in 1837, crossing the Great North Road near Six Mile Bridge.

In the 20th century there were branches to Brenkley Colliery NZ2274, Mill Hill Pit NZ2172, Havannah Drift Mine NZ2171 and Weetslade Colliery Lizzie Pit NZ2572. Netherton Waggonway opened in 1828 from Netherton NZ2381 to Morpeth NZ2085. It later linked Howard Pit, Frances Pit and Nethertonhall Colliery to Bedlington. 1828 map by Greenwood shows early railways around Bedlington Iron Works NZ2782. The eastern end of Netherton Waggonway is shown. Netherton is now spelled Nedderton. Northumberland Communities - Nedderton Walbottle Waggonway (or Wallbottle) - An iron waggonway ran from North Walbottle Colliery NZ1868 to Coronation Pit NZ1767, Blucher Pit NZ1766 and Lemington Staiths NZ1864. Another branch ran from Duke Pit NZ1666 to Lemington Staiths.

Coxlodge Waggonway - Also known as the Gosforth and Kenton Waggonway. This ran from Coxlodge Colliery Jubilee Pit NZ2368 and Regent Pit NZ2468 to Coxlodge Staiths NZ3065 at Wallsend on the River Tyne. Most of the route was used by Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads from 1901 to 1930. This company operated double-deck electric trams until 1930 and then buses from 1930 until 1975. Fawdon Waggonway - Pre-Ordnance Survey maps show waggonways converging on an engine at NZ2169 (later Bell House). The first edition 1864 Ordnance Survey map shows West Brunton Engine NZ2271 on Fawdon Old Waggonway and Middle Brunton Engine NZ2370. The 1920s Ordnance Survey map shows a new Fawdon Waggonway running to Coxlodge Colliery Jubilee Pit NZ2368.

George and Robert Stephenson Stephenson's Engine Works opened in 1823 on Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, where Locomotion and Rocket were built. Microsoft Bing Maps aerial photograph of Forth Banks. British History 1:2500 scale, 1861 map of Stephenson's Engine Works on South Street. Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (N&CR) The first section was opened in 1835 between Blaydon and Hexham. Carlisle to Blenkinsopp Colliery opened in 1836. Haydon Bridge to Hexham also opened in 1836. Blenkinsopp Colliery to Haydon Bridge opened in 1838. In 1837 the line was extended from Blaydon to Redheugh. In 1839 it made a connection at Redheugh with the Brandling Junction Railway. Also in 1839 the line crossed the River Tyne from Blaydon to Scotswood and then ran via Elswick to a temporary station in Newcastle. By 1839 the line was open between Carlisle and Newcastle.

In 1851 it gained access to Newcastle Central Station. Scotswood Railway Bridge caught fire in 1860. A temporary bridge was replaced by the existing iron bridge in 1871. The N&CR was taken over by the NER in 1862. British History 1:2500 scale, 1861 map of Newcastle Central Station. Numerous small turntables can be seen between the platforms. The station was built over the course of Newcastle Town Wall.

Route via Newcastle Central Station, Elswick, Scotswood, Blaydon, Ryton, Wylam, Prudhoe, Eltringham (later Mickley Station), Stocksfield, Ridingmill, Farnley Tunnel, Corbridge, Hexham, Border Counties Junction, Warden Bridge, Fourstones, Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill, Whitchester Tunnel, Haltwhistle, Blenkinsopp Colliery, Greenhead, Hadrian's Wall, Rosehill (later Gilsland Station), Low Row, Naworth, Milton (later Brampton Junction Station), Middle Gelt Bridge, Cowran Cutting, How Mill, Heads Nook, Wetheral, Scotby, Carlisle London Road Station NY4154 Carlisle Citadel Station NY4055 from 1864 Lord Carlisle's Brampton Railway ran from Milton to Kirkhouse Iron Foundry, Hallbank Gate (Hallbankgate), Clowsgill Lime Works, Black Sike Coal Pit, Howgill Mines, Tindalefell Spelter Works, Midgeholme Colliery NY6458 (Cumberland/Northumberland border), Haltonlee Gate and Lambley Colliery.

The line joined the Alston Branch at Lambley Station NY6758. 1836 Milton branch to Brampton Town. 1852 N&CR Alston Branch with stations at Haltwhistle, Featherstone, Coanwood, Lambley, Slaggyford and Alston. - South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society - Brampton Railway description and map. A wooden waggonway carried coal to Brampton Staith in the 1700s. Newcastle and North Shields Railway (N&NSR) opened in 1839 from Carliol Square NZ2564 in Newcastle via Ouseburn Viaduct NZ2664, Heaton, Wallsend, Willington Viaduct NZ3166 and Percy Main to North Shields NZ3568. The laminated wood viaducts were rebuilt in iron to the same design. Carliol Square Station was bypassed with the opening of the viaduct from Manors to Newcastle Central Station. The N&NSR route from Manors to Heaton Junction is still part of the ECML.

The N&NSR route from Walkergate to North Shields is used by the Tyne and Wear Metro. 1865 North Shields to Tynemouth NZ3669. This was a short curve from the Avenue Branch. British History 1867 West Sleekburn Junction to Cambois NZ3084. 1872 North Seaton to Ashington NZ2787 and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NZ3087. 1874 The Blyth and Tyne Railway became part of the North Eastern Railway. The B&TR route is still open for diversions from a junction at Benton NZ2868 on the ECML to Backworth, Seghill, Hartley, Bedlington and Morpeth. 1828 map by Greenwood shows the Inclined Plane from Cramlington Colliery and Seghill Colliery. Also shown is a waggonway to Seaton Sluice. 1828 map by Greenwood shows early railways around Bedlington Iron Works NZ2782. John Birkinshaw made the wrought iron rails at Bedlington Iron Works for the Stockton and Darlington Railway of 1825.

These rails retained the fish-bellied shape of the earlier cast iron rails, but were about 5 metres long. - the North Tyneside Steam Railway Association museum is at Middle Engine Lane NZ3269. Steam trains run to Percy Main NZ3367. Northumberland Communities - Blyth Victoria Tunnel opened in 1842 from Spital Tongues Colliery NZ2365 to Ouseburn NZ2664 on the River Tyne. It was soon closed for coal traffic but became an air-raid shelter during WWII 1939 to 1945. It still runs beneath the Barras Bridge area of Newcastle. British History 1:2500 scale 1872 map and Old Maps - maps of Spital Tongues Colliery. British History 1:2500 scale 1872 map of Barras Bridge. At one time the Great North Road crossed Pandon Burn here on a bridge. British History 1:2500 scale 1884 map of Spital Tongues Staiths and Victoria Tunnel entrance near Glasshouse Bridge, Ouseburn. by Phil Thirkell.

Wikipedia page about the Victoria Tunnel. Newcastle and Berwick Railway (N&BR) opened in 1847 from Tweedmouth, joining the Newcastle and North Shields Railway at Heaton Junction. The N&BR also opened the extension from North Shields to Tynemouth old station NZ3669. In the same year (1847) the N&BR was taken over by the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway, which soon became part of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway. The High Level Bridge opened in 1849 over the River Tyne, joining Gateshead and Newcastle. Newcastle Central Station was linked to Manors on the former Newcastle and North Shields Railway. The Royal Border Bridge opened in 1850, crossing the River Tweed into Berwick Station. In 1854 the YN&BR became part of the North Eastern Railway (NER). The route is now part of the ECML. There were derailments at the sharp curve south of Morpeth Station in 1969 and 1984.

Route via Berwick upon Tweed, Royal Border Bridge, Tweedmouth, Scremerston, Goswick, Beal, Smeafield, Belford, Lucker Water Troughs, Lucker, Newham, Chathill, Fallodon, Christonbank, Little Mill, Longhoughton, Lesbury Viaduct, Alnmouth, Warkworth, Acklington, Amble Junction, Chevington, Widdrington, Longhirst, Pegswood, Morpeth, Netherton (later Stannington Station), Plessey Viaduct, Plessey, Cramlington, Annitsford, Killingworth, Benton (later Forest Hall Station), Benton Quarry Junction and Heaton Junction - South East Northumberland Rail User Group - Morpeth Station. Search for these places in Northumberland Communities York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) 1849 Amble Branch ran from Amble Junction NZ2298 north of Chevington on the ECML to Broomhill Station NU2401 and Amble Station NU2604. The passenger service did not start until 1879.

There was extensive opencast mining in the area around the former RAF Acklington. Heavy opencast vehicles used private roads which followed the airfield perimeter track and part of the Amble Branch. 1849 Tweedmouth to Sprouston via Velvethall, Norham, Twizell, Cornhill (renamed Coldstream Station 1873), Wark (renamed Sunilaws Station), England/Scotland border NT7937, Carham, Sprouston Station NT7635 The North British Railway continued the line in 1851 from Sprouston to Kelso Station NT7333 (Maxwellheugh, Maxwell Heugh) 1850 Alnwick Branch ran from Alnwick Station NU1912 to Alnmouth Junction Station NU2311, which was originally called Bilton Junction. - the Aln Valley Railway Society plans to reopen the route.

Ashington Coal Company Railway ran from Ashington Colliery NZ2688 with branches to Linton Colliery NZ2691, Ellington Colliery NZ2891, Lynemouth Colliery NZ2990 and Woodhorn Colliery NZ2888. This extensive network ran passenger trains for mineworkers. A mineral railway was built in the 1980s from the Ashington Colliery network to the ECML. Ellington Colliery was the last deep mine in the North East Coalfield, closing in February 2005. - Woodhorn Colliery Museum. North Sunderland Railway - 1898 private railway from Chathill Station NU1827 to Seahouses NU2132 Whittle Colliery Waggonway ran from the ECML NU2205 to Whittle Colliery NU1706 which was to the east of the Great North Road, near Newton on the Moor. Whittle Colliery and Shilbottle Colliery supplied coal to the Cooperative Wholesale Society (CWS).

North Eastern Railway in Northumberland (NER) 1868 Allendale Branch from Border Counties Junction on the old Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. Stations at Elrington, Langley, Staward and Catton Road (later Allendale Station) 1870 Quayside Branch ran from the ECML east of Manors Station NZ2564 through a steep curving tunnel down to Newcastle Quayside. Two electric locomotives were later built using overhead and third rail power supply. 1878 Tweedmouth Dock line. 1879 Riverside Branch line branched off the ECML between the Ouseburn Viaduct and Heaton Station to Byker Platform NZ265648. The tunnel still runs under shops on Shields Road in Byker NZ266647. Stations were at St.Peter's NZ275636, St.Anthony's NZ284631, Walker NZ295642, Carville NZ303662, Point Pleasant NZ314664, Willington Quay NZ323665 and Percy Main NZ337673.

This line was later electrified using the third-rail system. 1882 Coast Line via Monkseaton, Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth Station NZ3669. A junction was made with the N&BR line near to the original Tynemouth Station. 1887 Alnwick and Cornhill Branch via Coldstream, Mindrum, Kirknewton, Akeld, Wooler, Ilderton, Wooperton, Hedgeley (Powburn), Glanton, Whittingham, Hillhead Tunnel, Edlingham, Alnwick Station NU1912 Coldstream Station NT8639 was in Cornhill, Northumberland, England In 1948 the track between Wooler and Ilderton was damaged by flooding. It was not economic to repair the gap and from then until closure the line was worked as two separate sections. 1904 Electrification of the Coast Line to Newcastle in response to the success of electric tramways. Junctions at Benton NZ2869 joined the N&BR line to the B&TR line. This allowed an express electric service from Monkseaton to Newcastle via the ECML.

1905 Ponteland Branch via South Gosforth, West Gosforth (now Regent Centre Metro Station), Coxlodge (now Fawdon Metro Station), Kenton (now Bankfoot Metro Station), Callerton and Ponteland Station NZ1672 This line reopened as the Tyne and Wear Metro, with the terminus at Newcastle Airport NZ1871. 1906 King Edward VII Bridge NZ2463 between Newcastle and Gateshead. This avoided reversing at Newcastle Central station for trains running between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross. 1909 Manors Station link NZ2564 joining the Blyth and Tyne line to the Newcastle and North Shields line. This completed the North Tyneside Loop, allowing electric trains to run from Newcastle via Jesmond, South Gosforth, Benton, Whitley Bay, North Shields and Wallsend to Newcastle. 1913 Darras Hall light railway from Ponteland Station NZ1672 to Darras Hall Station NZ1571 1914 Seaton Sluice Branch via Monkseaton, Brierdene and Collywell Bay Station NZ3376.

This unopened branch was dismantled for the War Effort 1914 to 1918 and was not rebuilt. 1915 Monkseaton Station built on a new site. 1923 NER becomes part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). 1928 - Tyne Commission Quay opened on the riverward side of Albert Edward Dock. There was an LNER rail link to Newcastle Central Station. Port of Tyne North British Railway (NBR) 1862 Border Counties Section joining the NBR Waverley Route from Carlisle to Edinburgh. Route via Riccarton Junction Station NY5397, Saughtree, Dawstonburn Viaduct, Deadwater, England/Scotland Border, Kielder, Kielder Viaduct, Plashetts, Falstone, Thorneyburn, Tarset, Bellingham, Redesmouth Junction, Wark, Barrasford, Chollerton, Chollerford, Hadrian's Wall, Wall, River Tyne Viaduct and Border Counties Junction NY9265. North British services from Hawick then ran via the N&CR line to Newcastle.

(Chollerford to Border Counties Junction opened 1858 as the Border Counties Railway). Old Maps - maps of Plashetts, now submerged under Kielder Water - Waverley Route Heritage Association. Track is being laid between Whitrope Tunnel and Riccarton Junction Station. 1862 Wansbeck Valley Railway ran from Reedsmouth Junction to Morpeth. NBR trains reversed into the Blyth and Tyne Railway Morpeth Station. This was an attempt by the NBR to gain access to Newcastle, using the B&TR lines. In 1871 new junctions allowed NBR and B&TR trains to run into the NER Morpeth Station. The B&TR Morpeth Station then became a goods shed. (Also known as the Wanney Line or Wannie Line).

Route via Morpeth Station NZ2085, Meldon, Angerton, Middleton, Scots Gap, Knowesgate, Woodburn, Broomhope Siding and Redesmouth Junction Station NY8681 1870 Northumberland Central Railway via Rothbury Station NU0601, Brinkburn, Lee Siding, Fontburn, Ewesley, Longwitton and Scots Gap Station NZ0386 Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway opened the line along the North bank of the River Tyne in 1875, following most of the route of the Wylam Waggonway. There were stations at Wylam NZ1164, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Newburn, Lemington and Scotswood NZ2063. Wylam Railway Bridge NZ1164 opened in 1876 across the River Tyne, joining the SN&WR to the Newcastle and Carlisle line. The SN&WR was taken over by the NER in 1883.

Kirkheaton Colliery Waggonway - This was an isolated coalfield with pits at Kirkheaton NZ0478, Ingoe NZ0374, Fenwick NZ0572, Muckleridge NZ0473, Todridge NZ0072 and Boghall NZ0477. The mineral railway opened in 1927 and ran from Belsay Colliery NZ0476 to Darras Hall NZ1571 where it joined the Darras Hall Light Railway to Ponteland NZ1672. Rural Branch Lines of Northumberland by C R Warn. Published by Frank Graham 1975, ISBN 0859130772 Contains a page about the Kirkheaton Colliery Waggonway. Bastles were built as fortified farmhouses to protect against raids by the Border Reivers. Livestock were kept on the ground floor. The family lived above. The walls are up to 1 metre thick. Some bastles have been modernised with living accomodation on the ground floor. Modern Ordnance Survey maps of Northumberland incorrectly describe them as Castles.

Bastions and Belligerents by John F Dodds, 1999 Keepdate Publishing, ISBN 1899506454 High Level Bridge High Level Bridge Bridges on the Tweed HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE The oldest of the existing bridges, the High Level opened in 1849. Previous bridges had been at a low level, but to avoid steep climbs at either end, a bridge must cross the Tyne gorge much higher. When the need arose for a railway bridge to link the south of England with Newcastle and Edinburgh a high level crossing was a necessity. Previous ideas for road bridges had been proposed and several ideas for rail crossings were put forward but the proposal of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway was accepted by Newcastle Council and the design by the celebrated railway engineer Robert Stephenson was to have two decks, the upper for the railway and the lower for the road. This was the first rail bridge across the Tyne at this point although a bridge already existed west of the city at Scotswood carrying the Newcastle and Carlisle railway. In 1846 building work commenced with the foundations for the piers.

The masonry arches followed and then the ironwork, the bridge being completed in June 1849. One-fifth of the ten thousand tons of iron used in its construction came from Bellingham ironworks on the North Tyne. A temporary wooden bridge was first built on the foundations and the permanent bridge was to be erected around it, the temporary bridge meanwhile allowing movement of rail traffic. The temporary timber bridge had one track and was opened in August 1848 although regular traffic over it did not start until September of that year. On completion of the permanent bridge, it was tested with a train on August 11, and on 15 August the first train carrying passengers crossed on its one track then laid. On removal of the temporary bridge the permanent bridge was completed to its full width, sufficient for 3 tracks. Queen Victoria officially opened the High Level on 28 September 1849, apparently without a formal ceremony, her train simply coming to a halt on the new bridge. The road bridge and its approach roads did not come into use until 5 February 1850.

Tolls, initially of one penny, were charged until abolition of tolls in 1937, revenue had by then decreased with the opening of the New (free) Tyne Bridge. Horse-drawn vehicles called brakes began running over the bridge from the 1880's at a fare one half-penny. Electric trams linking Newcastle with Gateshead crossed the bridge from 1923, connecting the Newcastle and Gateshead tramway systems. Footways on each side of the bridge were provided for pedestrians. Surprisingly, a few horse-drawn buses continued until 1931. The bridge is 1338 feet in length, 40 feet wide and the tracks are 112 feet above high water mark. The total cost of bridge and approaches was about ï¿½357000. Contractors were Hawks, Crawshay and Co, Messrs Losh, Wilson and Bell, and Abbott and Co, with masonry by Rush and Lawton. The supervising engineer was T. E. Harrison of the North Eastern Railway. A plate at each end of the bridge gives some of these details.

The eastern track was used by 'up' southbound trains and the others were used for 'down, northbound trains with frieight trains using the westernmost track. Recently the railway on the High Level was reduced to two tracks when it was electrified as part of the East Coast Main Line electrification plan in the 1980s. In February 2005 the roadway over the bridge closed completely to enable essential repairs to be undertaken, and there are doubts about whether it will ever reopen to all road vehicles. It is a Grade 1 listed structure and not designed to cope with today's road traffic volumes and its owners, Network Rail, must decide what its future will be. UPDATE: The bridge re-opened on June 2nd 2008 after a restoration programme costing ï¿½43 million. The roadway on the lower deck is now open for southbound (Newcastle to Gateshead) buses and taxis only. This will reduce loads on the bridge. The carriageway has been narrowed to a single lane, there is a speed limit of 20 mph and safety barriers have been fitted. Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the original footpaths at each side of the roadway.

The main contractor was May Gurney, project management by Mott MacDonald. Some pictures of the restored bridge are shown below. The first photograph is prior to restoration. High Level Bridge Facts Constructed - 1846-49 Type - double deck structure combining principles of arch and suspension, the railway carried on 6 ribbed arches supported by stone piers; the road suspended from the arches by wrought iron rods. 7 stone piers, the railway on cast iron girders. Position: between Swing and Metro Bridges Grid Ref: NZ 252 637 High Level Bridge Heritage Locations About Royal Border Bridge The Royal Border Bridge spans the River Tweed between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth in Northumberland. Built between 1847 and 1850 and opened by Queen Victoria, it was a Robert Stephenson design. Built for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway, the bridge is 659 metres long. It has twenty eight arches, constructed of brick but aesthetically faced with stone. The bridge is 38 metres above the river itself. It remains in full and regular use today as part of the East Coast Main Line.

In the 1990s it underwent significant repair work for the first time, in a Railtrack project with some funding from English Heritage. It is a Grade I Listed Building. Stephenson constructed a number of well-known bridges, including the High Level Bridge at Newcastle upon Tyne, the wrought-iron box-section Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait, the Conwy railway bridge between Llandudno Junction and Conwy, Arnside Viaduct in Cumbria and a joint road and rail bridge over the River Nene at Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire. One of Stephenson's few failures was his design of the Dee bridge, which collapsed under a train. Even before the collapse, he was heavily criticized for the design, particularly for the poor choice of materials which included cast iron. By road: Off A1 and A1167, near Berwick-upon-Tweed Station. By rail: Via the East Coast mainline to Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Bailey, Michael, Robert Stephenson: The Eminent Engineer, Ashgate, ISBN-10: 0754636798 (2003) Baker, Benjamin, Long-Span Railway Bridges, BiblioBazaar, ISBN-10: 0554806622 (2008) Biddle, Gordon, Britain's Historic Railway Buildings, Oxford University Press, ISBN-10: 0198662475 (2003) Biddle, Gordon & Nock, O.S., The Railway Heritage of Britain : 150 years of railway architecture and engineering, Studio Editions, ISBN-10: 1851705953 (1990) Dugan, Sally, Men of Iron, Channel Four Books, ISBN 1-4050-3426-2 (2003) Haworth, Victoria, Robert Stephenson: Engineer and Scientist, The Rocket Press, ISBN 0-9535-1621-0 (2004) Herdman, Edward, Berwick: Its Bridges Past and Present, AS

IN: B000XCOTES (1887) Lewis, Peter R., Disaster on the Dee: Robert Stephenson's Nemesis of 1847, NPI Media Group, ISBN-10: 075244266X (2007) Robbins, Michael, George and Robert Stephenson, HMSO, ISBN 0-11-290342-8 (1981) Rolt, L.T.C., George and Robert Stephenson: The Railway Revolution, Penguin, ISBN-10: 0140076468 (1988) Smiles, Samuel, Lives of the Engineers.

George and Robert Stephenson. The Locomotive, Adamant Media, ISBN-10: 1421259435 (2005) Smith, Ken, Stephenson Power: The Story of George and Robert Stephenson, Tyne Bridge Publishing, ISBN-10: 1857951867 (2003) Smith, M, British Railway Bridges and Viaducts, Ian Allan, ISBN-10: 0711022739 (1994)

Question: Part of the East Coast Main Line, which river is crossed by the Royal Border Bridge?
Answer: TWEED