Worlds Oldest in use Railway Bridge – Skerne Bridge

In this episode we’re bringing you a railway feature from Darlington. The only bridge to ever feature on English currency – a 1990’s £5 note showcased the bridge with its 1829 embankment upgrades.

These were added when the original embankments became damaged due to the heavier than expected traffic from the railway carriages and wagons where previous engineering only catered for horse drawn carriages.

Skerne Bridge is a crossing of great history: it is the world’s oldest continuously operated railway bridge, and it was the largest piece of infrastructure on the world’s first proper passenger railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

The bridge spans the Skerne at the north end of Darlington. This was the biggest ravine on the Stockton & Darlington Railway, which opened on September 27, 1825.

George Stephenson originally planned to build an iron and stone bridge across the ravine, but when his first iron and stone bridge over the Gaunless at West Auckland was washed away, the railway directors looked for alternatives.

The price of iron also rose, so they ordered Stephenson to seek the advice of Ignatius Bonomi, the well-known Durham Cathedral architect who was also the county bridge surveyor. His plan was to fill the sides of the ravine with rubble and place a three-arch stone bridge over the river: a large arch in the middle and two small pedestrian ones on either bank.

Francis Mewburn, the world’s first railway solicitor, laid the bridge’s foundation stone on July 6, 1824, and it was complete by early 1825. It cost £2,300 and, as befitted a Quaker railway, it was a simple affair.

The S&DR had expected to carry 10,000 tons of coal a year from Shildon to Stockton and a few passengers, but by 1828, it was carrying 52,000 tons plus 40,000 people – huge weights were going backwards and forwards over the bridge.

Brendan’s research shows that by late 1828, the embankments on either side were becoming dangerously damaged, and so the directors called upon their favourite stonemason, John Falcus Carter, to do some repairs.

So in 1829, Carter added gracefully curving walls to the Skerne Bridge to hold up the embankments.

For many years the bridge was in accessible to the public due to a gasworks blocking the way. This is now long gone and the bridge is now part of the Skerne valley cyclepath, and footway.

Darlington Series

Ep 1 https://youtu.be/e1urDqR1fFo
Ep 2 https://youtu.be/wLC0FZAIbeM
Ep 3 https://youtu.be/8IXrzRPuOxk (Release date 28th March ETA)

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In this episode we’re bringing you a railway feature from Darlington the only bridge to have feature on English currency a 1990s 5 note showcased the bridge with its 1829 embankment upgrades these were added when the original embankments became damaged due to the heavier than expected traffic from the railway carriages and wagons

Where previous engineering only car for horr carriages sanbridge is a crossing of great history it’s the world’s oldest continuously operated Railway Bridge and it was the largest piece of infrastructure on the world’s first proper passenger Railway the Stockton and Darlington Railway the bridge spans the scan at the

North End of Darlington this was the biggest Ravine on the Stockton and Darlington Railway which opened on the September the 27th 1825 see how the new concrete Top’s been placed on it to stiffen it all up and the abutments from when it was a wider Railway as was at the darington Town

Center through the through the yeah this is scan Bridge it’s all still maintained by the real Authority which is Network real now but the abutments are still here from the railway when it was wider and that is the oldest Railway Bridge in use in the UK

See in the center of the screen now we can see a fixing for the old BR type Railway wire fencing that comes around to the widened abutments here from when the railway used to have additional lines that have been removed on the bridge along with it we can also see

Here the uh cutouts from the wooden props when this was being built three different areas of engineering here the original there the strengthened abutment part here then the abutment for the widening there and then above the fourth from Network rails era when they’ve strengthened the track Bed above the old bridge watch Stevenson

Originally planned to build an iron and Stone Bridge across the Ravine but when his first Ironstone bridge over the gaunet at West Oakland was washed away the railway directors looked for an alternative the price of ir all also Rose so they ordered Stevenson to seek advice of ignatus bomi the well-known

Durham Cathedral architect who is also the county Bridge surveyor his plan was to fill the sides of the Ravine with rubble and place a Three Arch stone bridge over the river a large arch in the middle and two small pedestrian ones on either Bank this is one of Vicki’s locations so

Shout out to Vicki Francis muber the world first Railway solicor laid the Bridge’s foundation stone on the 6th of July 1824 and it was complete by early 1825 at a cost of £2,300 it befitted a Quaker Railway as it was a simple Affair the Stockton and Darlington Railway had expected to carry 10,000

Tons of coal a year from shieldon to Stockton and a few passengers but by 1828 it was carrying 5,200 tons plus 40,000 people huge weights were going backwards and forwards over the bridge Brendan’s research shows that by late 1828 the embankments on either side were becoming dangerously damaged and so the

Directors called upon their favorite stonemason John falus Carter to do some repairs so in 1829 Carter added worly curving walls to the scan bridge to hold up the bment for many years the bridge was inaccessible to the public due to a Gas Works blocking the way this is now long

Gone and the bridge is now part of the scan Valley Cycle path and footw just going to walk through The Pedestrian part underneath the bridge looking at the very old stone work you can see where is manually chiseled chisel marks there what smells of par there a plaque oh wow SC Bridge

I can’t can you say that nameci ignacius bonamy isan by ignacious bonamy for the Stockton and Darlington Railway the oldest Railway Bridge in the world still in use as such you see the side that gets the sun cuz it’s all dry here the Sandstone all dark on that Side SE it edge up there PW need to come and clear all that off so it’s going to actually push pits of the bridge off it grows In was that side open when you were a kid no don’t think I ever came this far down no oh it’s all looks derx but it looks like that used to go through as well all fenced off it’s a shame that’s all bit yeah there is some information here

The route of the 1825 Stockton and Darlington Railway it’s quite badly vandalized ooh that SED photo 1949 and it’s showing that metal bridge and we’ve just walked through there that’s the old signal box and the semaphores semaphor signals are going to be assigned to history on the Darlington Forge yeah that picture

Of my Grandad and that was in open it’s like an open is where they used to have a massive cauldron full of the iron o they used to blast they used to furnace it underneath it was like an open half furnace it called something something that is at the entrance to

Beamish now yeah so if anyone goes to the Beamish Museum the open half Forge or the open half furnace is at the entrance to Beamish so if you want to go check that out it’s like the big cauldron pop thing I don’t know what it was yes my they

Used to use like a big pan massive pan and heat it up see like everything else has been the platforms are norro station is still visible but practically everything else has now disappeared not station just up there these are horses on that oh yeah the HSE drawn carriages and they used to

Have Railway wheels on and it was something to do with a gauge of Railways 4T 8 and 1/2 in I believe it is and it’s it’s to do with a width of two horses the width of two horses decided the width of the wheels and that is why the

Width of mod Railway Wheels the the the width of them is like David’s two horses asses I think it’s 4T 7 and 1/2 in or something like that it’s the oldest p in the world not UK it is the oldest Railway Bridge in the world still in

Railway use the bridge is a scheduled Monument is and is owned by Network Rail and that’s Albert Hill signal box which is sadly long gone that would have been up there you can see the grande of the design like many Railway bment but this one’s got the extra finals on

Top Stockton and Darlington Railway what are these even f it’s chemicals of some sort isn’t it that looks like an old Railway had there could be wrong but it’s got that real Wees look about it viewers this was the final episode in the Darlington series check out the

Playlist in the description box to see the other episodes and if you haven’t done already please subscribe to the channel and I will see you every Thursday at 400 p.m. UK time with another video bye-bye for now