Family / Things to do
Things to do for free with kids in Bristol this summer: bridge swings
There has long been a rumour that Plimsoll Bridge rotates on a bed of mercury.
It’s a good story but one that’s sadly not true.
Measuring 82-metres long and weighing in at 865 tonnes, the bridge’s giant bulk actually rotates on ball bearings.
is needed now More than ever
And when it gets stuck, there is always chaos on the roads.
Just a few hours after its opening ceremony in 1965, it got stuck for the first time, causing what was then Bristol’s biggest ever traffic jam.
Plimsoll Bridge is one of three swing bridges criss-crossing the Floating Harbour, alongside the nearby North Junction Lock Bridge between pubs the Nova Scotia and the Pump House (which once contained the steam engines that generated hydraulic water pressure to make this bridge swing); and Prince Street Bridge between the Arnolfini and M Shed (with the Coffee & Crepe Cabin in what used to be the bridge operator’s booth).
This trio need to swing in order to let taller boats pass through and the bridge swings are always a sight to behold, with Bristolians accustomed to waiting patiently whether on foot, on two wheels or four.
Along the New Cut, Ashton Avenue Bridge and Vauxhall Bridge also used to swing but have not done so for many years as boats rarely travel along this section of water, which remains tidal to allow the Floating Harbour to remain at a constant level.
Fans of bridges might be keen to note that Ashton Avenue Bridge used to be a double-decker swing bridge, the upper level being a road and the lower level carrying a former railway line.
This story is an original chapter from ‘111 Places For Kids in Bristol That You Shouldn’t Miss’ by Martin Booth with photographs by Barbara Evripidou, available now from all good bookshops
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Fears for future of Brunel’s ‘other’ bridge
- Things to do for free with kids in Bristol this summer: Bristol Castle
- Things to do for free with kids in Bristol this summer: Look Up, Look Down
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