I have driven over this bridge countless times journeying between Leicester and Derby. The longest route, but well worth it just for the amazing bridge and quaint villages. 👍🏻👍🏻
I had just started crossing the bridge Christmas Eve 5 years ago, heading towards Swadlincote on my '93 Guzzi Cali, when the Shaft drive Cardon joint decided it would retire hurt. Much graunching and leaping forwards at about 5mph ensued. There was a Jaguar SUV about 2m off my rear beeping and trying to overtake !!! It indeed seemed the longest stone bridge in England that day. Crawled to the far side, parked up, and had a 3 hour wait in the dark and mizzle for recovery. At least I did manage to reach the other side. Crossing it is never a nice experience, and you had the best form of transport for the job. Those pinch points catch larger vehicles out very quickly. I've never seen any cyclists on it, but it must be fun for those brave enough to try it, and thanks for the history lesson either way.
Thanks for your comments. I was there early afternoon on a weekday, and it was busy enough. I certainly wouldn’t like to find myself stopping part way across. Even in relatively light traffic, those pinch points were the cause of queuing.
See my comment... I always negotiated the huge hill past the John Thompson pub and into Ingleby then back on the 514 at Ticknall on my mountain bike than do Swarkstone Bridge when visiting my mum in Hartshorn... Only once... That was enough.... 😂
I live locally and have used this road for many years so know it well. It is the only river Trent crossing between Shardlow and Willington so it is always busy. Most drivers treat it with respect and drive carefully but there is always one, one who ends up through the wall! Many years ago I was told a tale about the Bridge / causeway which is probably just a local fairy tale but it seems that before the bridge was built the land was a bog, often flooded and unsafe to cross. Two young men who lived at the Swarkestone side were in love with two beautiful young ladies who lived at Stanton and rather foolishly tried to cross one wet day and both were swallowed up by the bog! In their memory the ladies had the bridge/causeway constructed. Nice old tale may be total fiction but its the kind of story that would have been enhanced in the pub in front of the fire on a wet and windy night.
Thanks for sharing your local knowledge and the pub-enhanced tale. What men will do for love! I suppose before that ancient bridge was built, people really did have to risk crossing the bog. Those two ladies have certainly kept thousands of feet dry over the centuries! Thanks again.
As a child I was taken to the Crewe and Harpur virtually every Sunday by my grandparents for Sunday lunch ( very good it always was too) my grandfather always described the bridge not as the swarkstone bridge but the Seven Sisters bridge because it had been built by Seven Sisters who were nuns and they had fund raised over many years in order to pay for the construction, this accounted for the various sections being built over a long period of time and the fact that it twists and turns over the river. The Crewe and Harpur pub is known locally as the ´screw and scarper.´ During the summer, after lunch, I would often paddle in the river on the shingle under the first arch of the bridge. Very fond memories of the pub, bridge and the little hamlet of Tiknall and of barrow on Trent just up the road.
I've been over this bridge many times as a child. With my dad we always used to joke that the original bridge was built by the Romans, but they were drunk at the time, which explains why the bridge is not entirely straight.
Really interesting video, many thanks. I'm glad I gave up my bike. I lost all nerve ( for some unknown reason) after about 20 years and even now, every junction with a car had me getting twitchy and ' covering the brakes'. I'll leave it to you and your adventures.
I remember years ago going over that bridge in a mk 2 Atkinson 8 wheeler tipper with my dad before the weight limit was imposed. A tight squeeze in one of those especially when there were trucks coming the other way. Also a bit of a monument in the beer garden of the crewe and harpur commemorating the place of Charlie's furthest foray south.
The point about Bonny Prince Charlie’s generals getting cold feet is well made! I certainly don’t recall ANY history book explaining that the reason why his army stopped “at Derby” was due to the bridge being a pinch-point but clearly it was a very significant consideration for troops at that time!
Wow, I can only imagine the beautiful habitat that this was built over, shame it’s drained and we don’t get to see what it would of looked like from the bridge, bet it was an amazing sight, shame they had to drain it, would be lush to travel along the bridge with the marsh still there.
I live local to there and have driven & ridden over many times on route to Derby. I clearly remember losing a wing mirror when an oncoming motorist realised too late that the kerb their side came out into the road.
I used to go over this bridge a couple of times a year It really narrows in parts, I once got stuck behind a bicycle race that was like the slowest race ever, It took ages to get home!! 😂😂
Good morning Dr Dunn. Your channel's been recommended by one of my subscribers, and I find it to be exactly my sort of content - well presented and full of interest. My son and myself used to walk the dogs through Swarkestone, and a few years ago there was a re-enactment taking place in the garden of The Crewe & Harpur - Jacobites v Redcoats. Now I've always had a great affinity with the Highlands, and emotion got the better of me.....'up the Jacobites' shouts I, only to be hurried away by aforementioned son, as I was embarrassing him..... allegedly! Thanks for this one anyway, and New Year's greetings to you. Now to start catching up......
Well if Charlie had kept on beyond the Trent we might all have been Jacobites now. One of the great ‘what ifs’ of history. Thanks for your kind words and Happy New Year to you.
I live locally and have used this bridge for over 47 years and never knew the history. Thank you for informing me and I'm sure countless others too. I will share this on my Facebook page as it's genuinely good and very interesting 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
So pleased to have found you. My sort of UA-cam channel.Great views and fascinating history, well researched and narrated. You've a new subscriber. I'll take a look at your previous videos. Many thanks for sharing.
Used it regulary a few years back ..I now live at Walton on Trent where i can see the infamous, "temporary " Bailey Bridge of 75 years end up being centeries old also before a modern life crossing over The River Trent exists.
@@drjohndunn2898 Despite six sets of warning signs displaying 7'-6" width and 3 ton weight limitations we have u to 32 ton ?HGV vehicles trying to cross the Trent causing chaos to commuters at peak times.
Brings back memories. In the distant past, a favourite dash was from the fish and chip shop in Shepherd Street Littleover, to the similar establishment in Melbourne, via, of course, Barrow and Swarkestone Bridge. I seem to remember it was 10 miles, and had to be achieved in 10 minutes. Sounds like a stupid teenage activity, but I still remember the excitement of pushing my Norton to try to make it happen!
Recently reading local history, at Stony Stratford in North Bucks - and now subsumed into Milton Keynes city - there is a bridge over the Great Ouse river, which was built and washed away, and rebuilt again, every few years over centuries ! If nothing else, those remarkable engineers were persistent !
Blinkin'eck, never seen/heard of you before but I am very well impressed, thank you for your superb work and production! Sitting in my easy chair hundreds of miles away and enjoying biking/history/architecture/geology/geography and orienteering, kindred spirits comes to mind! Happy New Year Sir!
I’ve lived in Derby all my 60 years and been over this bridge hundreds of times , never an enjoyable experience especially as it’s on a regular bus route , there was a bridge chapel at one time at the Swarkestone end but it’s foundations have never been located . Interestingly there is an intact bridge chapel just off St Mary’s Bridge also in Derby one of only six in England 👍
Thanks for this video. A rich and historical place. Derby local studies library has many resources. My late mum relocated to her birthplace in later life, Hartshorn village and I stayed in Derby so I've crossed this bridge many times... Although, not brave enough to on a mountain bike. I'd always take the right hand turn just after crossing the Trent and before the causeway section and go via the John Thomson pub and Ingleby then rejoin the 514 at Ticknall than negotiate the bridge on two wheels. It's much better now the A50 takes most of the heavy traffic but can still be a white knuckle ride in any vehicle during busy times. That all said and done, a beautiful historical structure in a beautiful part of the the county.
Fun fact. Many car door mirrors have met their end on this narrow bridge. It is usually littered with their crushed remains. I like to count them whenever I cross the bridge. Highest count was over 50. Every so often the debris is cleared up and the count restarts.
its about ten miles from where i live in coalville i used to kayak under the bridge in summer time about 40yrs ago and at low water theres a couple of walls that are visible giving nice ferry gliding eddys
Several of the trent's bridges had to be replaced. My grandad drove his bus over the Cavendish bridge nearby st Shardlow then it collapsed. The old tolls are listed on a stone tablet next to it and the original stone foundations are still there near the newer bridge. In WWI there was a VAD hospital almost next to it in a former brewery. I drive over Swarkstone regularly and at aged 19 had a clutch go in an Austin Princess. Not cool.
You made no mention of (very) nearby Swarkestone Pavilion, now owned and managed by the Landmark Trust. Constructed around 1630 and located less than 300m from the A514, the building (in particular from the castellated roof) commands a fine view of the Causeway & Bridge.
Thanks. I really wish that I’d had a look. Presumably the gate posts seen where I left the A514 to drop down to the church and village were the entrance to the pavilion or the old Swarkestone Hall. I’ll be back, as they say. But thanks for raising this.
@@drjohndunn2898 Church Lane may well have been the original access route to Swarkestone Pavilion but now it has a dedicated access road (also a right turn off the main road), which is approx. 150m further along the A514 - this entrance has a cattle grid because livestock is kept in the open fields. Please note you cannot gain entrance to the Pavilion unless you rent it out for a stay - that's how The Landmark Trust operates - essentially the organisation rescues buildings of architectural/historical merit that have either fallen into disrepair/become derelict, or require maintenance/upkeep to guarantee their long term future. The Trust renovates these properties as holiday homes for short stay rentals - the revenue generated allows them to maintain the properties and fund similar future projects, although they usually launch fund raising appeals for specific restoration projects because the costs involved are enormous - one of their relatively recently completed projects was Fairburn Tower in Ross Shire, Scotland, which cost £1.8million to bring back to its former glory. Put "Landmark Trust" into your search engine for more info?
Ive been using this causeway and bridge for the past 34 years commuting from the south into Derby. As cars have gotten larger and drivers less confident, coupled with more housing built to the south, the bridge is now daily bottleneck and can take 15 minutes to cross on a bad day
I did notice no heavy goods vehicles on the bridge that would make sense. I believe there is a 7 1/2 ton weight limit and also vehicles are monitored as well by electronic devices apparently?
This wasn't always the case and I remember riding in the cab of my dad's old mk 2 Atkinson 8 wheeler tipper across that bridge many years ago. Passing other trucks coming the other way was a slow and careful process!
I cycle over it regularly as I live nearby. A major modern characteristic of the bridge, not obvious on film at motor vehicle speed, are vehicle mirrors, hubcaps, bumper edges and other body parts. Hundreds of them.
@@drjohndunn2898 Yes. It's a miracle it's still standing. At least the top bit. PS I have located an appreciation of the underside structure which may be of interest. ua-cam.com/video/1XlZEXr3K9E/v-deo.html
I cross the bridge regularly and it’s becoming a pain with all the traffic. Regular repairs, pot holes, sunken drains…. There’s only so many times you can plaster over the cracks. On a more legendary note…. I was bought up being told that the bridge was originally built after a death of a pair of lovers crossing in the marshes…. Not sure if it’s true though…
Strangely enough, the Swarkestone bridge is on a BUS ROUTE!!!!!! Hats off to any bus driver on this route across the bridge in the “Rush Hour!” Also I have come across a few Polish Articulated Lorry’s following a Sat Nav which, because it’s an “A” road, takes them across the bridge!!!
the story goes that the elders of derby convinced bonny prince charlie that there was a great army waiting for them just south of derby and they would be destroyed if they continues, and thats why we have a statue of bonnie prince on a horseback on full street in the city centre, the bonnie prince charlie walk also starts there or ends there.
I assumed that you were driving a car up to 0:19 when you went through that gap!. A similar but much smaller set of bridges is at Hockenhull Platts near Tarvin in Cheshire.
@@drjohndunn2898 They are shown on the 1675 John Ogilby maps as `3 stone bridges`. The maps are available on the Cheshire Local History Association website.
Betwixt Swarkestone and Willington, the location of the former Twyford Ferry used to be evident. Then of course to the north, there's the Weston viaduct.
It was a turning point for Bonnie Prince Charlie as his army got cold feet with too many desertions to ignore hence sprung many charged names such as Black, Brown and Green etc!
I was born in Derby, just a few miles away and still live in the suburbs, for 68 years. There was a story that the bridge was built by two sisters so that they could meet their lovers. . . . . but who knows.
A beautiful bridge in a great part of the country, if it was down London it would be protected and another built along side for traffic, but no Derbyshire country council only spend the money in north Derbyshire.
@drjohndunn2898 That's true , and explains why burton was for centuries a siege town , and the old bridge itself was the scene of many battles being the only passing place of the river . Which is also the reason the old Abbey, that incidentally survived the reformation , got blown up by accident due to the storing of gunpowder in large quantities for the defence of the town .
The Dunstable Augustinian canons remarked on the bridge in their Annals. They knew it as Cordy's bridge. The Annals were translated and published in 2018.
I haven't read all comments but there seems no mention of the alleged ghosts of cavalry horsemen that have been reported on occasion. Yes the old pavilion was used for a photo shoot as the band was passing through and the photographer had been struggling to complete their shoot as they had visited other locations around the area. You can find shots of the band sitting in front of and on the window ledges. I did read the rolling stones had a meal at the pub. If you were to go further down Ingleby Lane and go through the metal gates by foot towards Barrow on trent village following the river. You would come to a part of the river called the bomb holes. Where German aircraft dropped bombs short of derby. Possibly going for railway ,gasworks or rolls royce. The actual bomb holes are in the river I would imagine most of the older angler's who fished the river knew this. Was a good spot for barbel and chubb. The bridge itself has a dark air to it. Maybe as people look at it they don't know the history and lives lost in the river at that point. Some were just having fun others with the intention. Another to look at would be anchor church but you would have to walk to that though information is online. I'm an old Alvaston lad and this was my playground along with the Derwent from Shardlow through Derby Town and out towards Matlock. I use the road weekly going to see my Dad. Now he can tell you some history and stories being 90 year's old.
@@oneeye6437 Thanks for adding to the sparse history that I included. I must take a look at the pavilion next time I pass through. Yes I imagine the bombers were heading for Rolls Royce. Probably lost and expecting the worse from the RAF, they just dropped the bombs and cleared off home. It seems there is much more history to this bridge than I imagined, and it is likely that your Dad knows much of it.
It's no wonder Bonnie Prince Charlie turned back at Swarkestone Bridge. He didn't fancy it either. As a driver I hate it, not because I'm a nervous driver but you don't know what the other guy's going to do. Some people take it too fast.
Two of my great( x6 )-grandfathers were probably there - =========================================== Donald Macleod of Berneray ( "Old Trojan" ), and Roderick Macleod of Cadboll - both survived Culloden. Donald killed an English dragoon in mortal combat, and since he was 54 at the time, and it was a close-run thing, he was honoured by "Old Trojan" as a result. After the defeat, he was on the run, reaching the Isle of Harris, where he lodged in a cave for a year, while the Royal Navy bombarded his house on Berneray, and killed the livestock of his tenants and himself. Tough times!
What a family history! Tough times indeed. The misery must have been compounded by the thought of what might have been if they’d carried on beyond Derby. I suppose Charles was not gaining the support that he hoped for. Food was running short. No French support etc. They were so close though…
@@drjohndunn2898 Donald was one of the last true Highland chiefs - the whole way of life was being cut back by laws from London. A clan chief had a wide range of responsibilities towards ALL of his people. He held powers enabling him to quickly settle disputes, or solve local problems. Contrast that to London law, where courts are distant, and lawyer's fees are high, while time and outcome are no more than a lottery. For example, a great storm washed away part if the island of Berneray, as it was land set on sand, and the chief held meetings to redistribute land holdings, so that everyone had a living. / The '45 was a romantic dream, and lacked a co-ordinated strategy to attack England from several directions to split her forces. I mourn the loss of clan integrity, but overall, I think Scotland gained. The Highland Clearances are blamed on the Landlords, but their hands were tied by London's orders and taxes. The population was rising faster than jobs could be created. Donald's son, Alexander, my great( x5 )-grandfather, set up a seaweed industry - much in demand, but back-breaking work. He also bought St Kilda, and developed that, ploughing back money he made in India as a sea captain. He was briefly an MP for Honiton, Devon (!), and lived at Harrow, where he died, having transitioned into British. Three half-brothers were senior British Army officers, including a major- and lieutentant-generals - one of whom served under Wellington in India. So being the sons of a Jacobite rebel was no bar to advancement in British service. And that was the strength of England-Britain - a willingness to forgive and absorb. If only the Irish had been able to let go of wrongs committed 500 years before - while omitting their own atrocities, and their constant links to England's Catholic enemies! Scotland prospered, where Ireland's development was mainly by Protestants of Scottish origin. Ireland had the same problem - more births than jobs to sustain them, but rather than brainstorm new ideas, Ireland stagnated. And even when freed from Britain, the De Valera / Catholic Church grip, kept Ireland in impoverishment, until access to EU funds gave Ireland a way to great riches by plundering England's tax revenue by setting up international corporations trading from Dublin on sales in Britain. / The discovery of new ancestors changes my perspective on history. It brings it alive, when you know your ancestor took part in events recorded in history! 1066 is a dated every Briton knows! My great( x24 )-grandfather, if recods are to be believed, was King Harald Haadrada, who was KIA at Stamford Bridge, invading England. One of his wives was a pricess of Kyiv, and he was head of the Varengian Guard to the Byzantian Emporer. He certainly got around, and took part in a number of campaigns! /
This ancient bridge should long ago have been replaced by a newer bridge, with the old one carrying pedestrians and bicycles. The volume of traffic on it and the constrictions make it difficult to drive over. I always fold in my door mirrors before crossing it. If possible I avoid it, use A42 or A38.
I was once told Swarkestone Bridge is one of only 3 Medieval Monuments in the whole of England that you are allowed to drive on, how true it is I don't know but I would be nice to confirm it and find out where and what the other 2 are
It's horrible to drive through. Bent as a pig's 〰️. Dodge the school double decker oncoming 😬🫣. Varies in width, from narrow, to Jeeeeezuz H. Bats fly under the arches at night. Just next door in a field is a hunting lodge which the Rolling Stones used on one of their covers. It's opposite the Crewe & Harpur PH beside the tiny filling station.🕍
So why no comment about the remnants of Swarkstone (Jacobean) Hall, now mainly demolished and the bear pit gone. Only to be remembered on a Rolling Stones album cover and the bit left looked after by English heritage and actually run as a holiday let. We were shown round by friends who stayed there. So, no I won't be subscribing as you obviously cherry picked it but did not do any actual proper research.
Lime mortar is elastic which is why so many of these structures still exist . OPC or Ordinary Portland Cement or builders cement is brittle and useless
I have driven over this bridge countless times journeying between Leicester and Derby. The longest route, but well worth it just for the amazing bridge and quaint villages. 👍🏻👍🏻
Yes, I was told that lovely tale by my Dad who used to live in Coxbench. X
I had just started crossing the bridge Christmas Eve 5 years ago, heading towards Swadlincote on my '93 Guzzi Cali, when the Shaft drive Cardon joint decided it would retire hurt. Much graunching and leaping forwards at about 5mph ensued. There was a Jaguar SUV about 2m off my rear beeping and trying to overtake !!!
It indeed seemed the longest stone bridge in England that day. Crawled to the far side, parked up, and had a 3 hour wait in the dark and mizzle for recovery. At least I did manage to reach the other side.
Crossing it is never a nice experience, and you had the best form of transport for the job. Those pinch points catch larger vehicles out very quickly.
I've never seen any cyclists on it, but it must be fun for those brave enough to try it, and thanks for the history lesson either way.
Thanks for your comments.
I was there early afternoon on a weekday, and it was busy enough. I certainly wouldn’t like to find myself stopping part way across. Even in relatively light traffic, those pinch points were the cause of queuing.
See my comment... I always negotiated the huge hill past the John Thompson pub and into Ingleby then back on the 514 at Ticknall on my mountain bike than do Swarkstone Bridge when visiting my mum in Hartshorn... Only once... That was enough.... 😂
I live locally and have used this road for many years so know it well. It is the only river Trent crossing between Shardlow and Willington so it is always busy. Most drivers treat it with respect and drive carefully but there is always one, one who ends up through the wall! Many years ago I was told a tale about the Bridge / causeway which is probably just a local fairy tale but it seems that before the bridge was built the land was a bog, often flooded and unsafe to cross. Two young men who lived at the Swarkestone side were in love with two beautiful young ladies who lived at Stanton and rather foolishly tried to cross one wet day and both were swallowed up by the bog! In their memory the ladies had the bridge/causeway constructed. Nice old tale may be total fiction but its the kind of story that would have been enhanced in the pub in front of the fire on a wet and windy night.
Thanks for sharing your local knowledge and the pub-enhanced tale. What men will do for love! I suppose before that ancient bridge was built, people really did have to risk crossing the bog. Those two ladies have certainly kept thousands of feet dry over the centuries! Thanks again.
I'm from Coalville to the South, but in the version I was told there was only one of each. Crossing the bridge is the fastest way to Derby.
As a child I was taken to the Crewe and Harpur virtually every Sunday by my grandparents for Sunday lunch ( very good it always was too) my grandfather always described the bridge not as the swarkstone bridge but the Seven Sisters bridge because it had been built by Seven Sisters who were nuns and they had fund raised over many years in order to pay for the construction, this accounted for the various sections being built over a long period of time and the fact that it twists and turns over the river. The Crewe and Harpur pub is known locally as the ´screw and scarper.´ During the summer, after lunch, I would often paddle in the river on the shingle under the first arch of the bridge. Very fond memories of the pub, bridge and the little hamlet of Tiknall and of barrow on Trent just up the road.
Happy memories for you. Thanks for sharing.
I've been over this bridge many times as a child. With my dad we always used to joke that the original bridge was built by the Romans, but they were drunk at the time, which explains why the bridge is not entirely straight.
Used to be my daily commute 60 years ago, first on a BSA C12, and then on a triumph 5TA. Seeing the view from the saddle brought back a few memories.
Thanks for comments
Really interesting video, many thanks. I'm glad I gave up my bike. I lost all nerve ( for some unknown reason) after about 20 years and even now, every junction with a car had me getting twitchy and ' covering the brakes'.
I'll leave it to you and your adventures.
I remember years ago going over that bridge in a mk 2 Atkinson 8 wheeler tipper with my dad before the weight limit was imposed. A tight squeeze in one of those especially when there were trucks coming the other way. Also a bit of a monument in the beer garden of the crewe and harpur commemorating the place of Charlie's furthest foray south.
Thanks for the info on the monument
The point about Bonny Prince Charlie’s generals getting cold feet is well made! I certainly don’t recall ANY history book explaining that the reason why his army stopped “at Derby” was due to the bridge being a pinch-point but clearly it was a very significant consideration for troops at that time!
Many thanks for your comments
I know this area, but until now I knew nothing of this bridge. Thank you for this very interesting snippet of the country I love. Peace and goodwill
Peace and goodwill to you too.
Wow, I can only imagine the beautiful habitat that this was built over, shame it’s drained and we don’t get to see what it would of looked like from the bridge, bet it was an amazing sight, shame they had to drain it, would be lush to travel along the bridge with the marsh still there.
Travel over it most days for work days and nights, the fields flood around that area with the slightest hint of rain, like driving over a lake
I live local to there and have driven & ridden over many times on route to Derby. I clearly remember losing a wing mirror when an oncoming motorist realised too late that the kerb their side came out into the road.
There must be quite a few wing mirrors for future archaeologists to recover from that bridge
Excellent video, very interesting history. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your kind words
I used to go over this bridge a couple of times a year It really narrows in parts, I once got stuck behind a bicycle race that was like the slowest race ever, It took ages to get home!! 😂😂
Good morning Dr Dunn.
Your channel's been recommended by one of my subscribers, and I find it to be exactly my sort of content - well presented and full of interest.
My son and myself used to walk the dogs through Swarkestone, and a few years ago there was a re-enactment taking place in the garden of The Crewe & Harpur - Jacobites v Redcoats. Now I've always had a great affinity with the Highlands, and emotion got the better of me.....'up the Jacobites' shouts I, only to be hurried away by aforementioned son, as I was embarrassing him..... allegedly!
Thanks for this one anyway, and New Year's greetings to you.
Now to start catching up......
Well if Charlie had kept on beyond the Trent we might all have been Jacobites now. One of the great ‘what ifs’ of history. Thanks for your kind words and Happy New Year to you.
I live locally and have used this bridge for over 47 years and never knew the history. Thank you for informing me and I'm sure countless others too. I will share this on my Facebook page as it's genuinely good and very interesting 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks. And judging by the many comments I’ve only scratched the surface of the history
I think you must be the only person in the country that didn't know
@@modelrailwaynoob model railway knob
So pleased to have found you. My sort of UA-cam channel.Great views and fascinating history, well researched and narrated. You've a new subscriber. I'll take a look at your previous videos. Many thanks for sharing.
Pleased you enjoyed the rides. Thanks for subscribing.
Used it regulary a few years back ..I now live at Walton on Trent where i can see the infamous, "temporary
" Bailey Bridge of 75 years end up being centeries old also before a modern life crossing over The River Trent exists.
I’ve never crossed over the Bailey Bridge. I must take a look one day. Thanks
@@drjohndunn2898 Despite six sets of warning signs displaying 7'-6" width and 3 ton weight limitations we have u to 32 ton ?HGV vehicles trying to cross the Trent causing chaos to commuters at peak times.
Brings back memories. In the distant past, a favourite dash was from the fish and chip shop in Shepherd Street Littleover, to the similar establishment in Melbourne, via, of course, Barrow and Swarkestone Bridge. I seem to remember it was 10 miles, and had to be achieved in 10 minutes. Sounds like a stupid teenage activity, but I still remember the excitement of pushing my Norton to try to make it happen!
Hot fish and chips the incentive! Pleased to bring back the memories. Best wishes.
Thanks for posting this, John.
Always enjoy crossing this on my Honda, too.👍
Recently reading local history, at Stony Stratford in North Bucks - and now subsumed into Milton Keynes city - there is a bridge over the Great Ouse river, which was built and washed away, and rebuilt again, every few years over centuries ! If nothing else, those remarkable engineers were persistent !
Thanks. And of course where the bridges could be built determined much of the road network.
Commuted across this causeway for 20 years until retirement in 2020. The pinch point at the Stanton end was always fun...
Another great video! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Thanks for your kind words. Happy. Christmas and New Year to you!
Bloody terrifying to walk across 😱
I’ll bet it is!
Blinkin'eck, never seen/heard of you before but I am very well impressed, thank you for your superb work and production! Sitting in my easy chair hundreds of miles away and enjoying biking/history/architecture/geology/geography and orienteering, kindred spirits comes to mind! Happy New Year Sir!
Thanks for your kind words. Happy New Year!
I'm quite local to this bridge. I explored it like you have seeing more or less the same views. Amazing piece of engineering
Drivers around that area can judge your wing mirror to the mm
I’ve lived in Derby all my 60 years and been over this bridge hundreds of times , never an enjoyable experience especially as it’s on a regular bus route , there was a bridge chapel at one time at the Swarkestone end but it’s foundations have never been located . Interestingly there is an intact bridge chapel just off St Mary’s Bridge also in Derby one of only six in England 👍
Thanks for adding this information.
Thanks for this video. A rich and historical place. Derby local studies library has many resources. My late mum relocated to her birthplace in later life, Hartshorn village and I stayed in Derby so I've crossed this bridge many times... Although, not brave enough to on a mountain bike. I'd always take the right hand turn just after crossing the Trent and before the causeway section and go via the John Thomson pub and Ingleby then rejoin the 514 at Ticknall than negotiate the bridge on two wheels. It's much better now the A50 takes most of the heavy traffic but can still be a white knuckle ride in any vehicle during busy times. That all said and done, a beautiful historical structure in a beautiful part of the the county.
Many thanks for your comments. I must admit that I’d think twice before cycling over
Another new location to me, thank you for these videos and happy Christmas!
Glad you found it of interest. Thanks
Just subscribed, I’ve watched some of your past videos and I’m loving your content. Keep up the good work.
Many thanks
Fun fact. Many car door mirrors have met their end on this narrow bridge. It is usually littered with their crushed remains. I like to count them whenever I cross the bridge. Highest count was over 50. Every so often the debris is cleared up and the count restarts.
First used the bridge in 1969 on our way from West Bridgford to Porthmadog, always found it rather fascinating!
There’s no doubt that it’s an interesting bridge, and still well used… and abused
Interesting video, thank you. I’ve got the 500 Hornet too, good bike😃👍
Runs on fresh air too
its about ten miles from where i live in coalville i used to kayak under the bridge in summer time about 40yrs ago and at low water theres a couple of walls that are visible giving nice ferry gliding eddys
Thanks. Yours is the first comment about the bridge from that angle. Best wishes
We used to put in at Swarkestone and paddle down to the Priest House at Kings Mills, haven’t been for a good few years.
Several of the trent's bridges had to be replaced. My grandad drove his bus over the Cavendish bridge nearby st Shardlow then it collapsed. The old tolls are listed on a stone tablet next to it and the original stone foundations are still there near the newer bridge. In WWI there was a VAD hospital almost next to it in a former brewery. I drive over Swarkstone regularly and at aged 19 had a clutch go in an Austin Princess. Not cool.
Thanks for the information, especially about Cavendish Bridge. And not a convenient place to have a clutch go!
Enjoyed it thank you
Many thanks
Visit Derbyshire every year, will have to check this out and take a walk about, pub lunch etc 👍
Worth a look. Pub garden by the river
The old ruins near to the bridge swarkston pavilion are used for the album cover for the rolling stones hot rocks
my friend once 'rode' the entire length of the bridge standing on the seat of his ZXR. looked crazy from the Screw & Scarper beer garden
Now that would get some UA-cam views!
You made no mention of (very) nearby Swarkestone Pavilion, now owned and managed by the Landmark Trust. Constructed around 1630 and located less than 300m from the A514, the building (in particular from the castellated roof) commands a fine view of the Causeway & Bridge.
Thanks. I really wish that I’d had a look. Presumably the gate posts seen where I left the A514 to drop down to the church and village were the entrance to the pavilion or the old Swarkestone Hall.
I’ll be back, as they say. But thanks for raising this.
@@drjohndunn2898 Church Lane may well have been the original access route to Swarkestone Pavilion but now it has a dedicated access road (also a right turn off the main road), which is approx. 150m further along the A514 - this entrance has a cattle grid because livestock is kept in the open fields.
Please note you cannot gain entrance to the Pavilion unless you rent it out for a stay - that's how The Landmark Trust operates - essentially the organisation rescues buildings of architectural/historical merit that have either fallen into disrepair/become derelict, or require maintenance/upkeep to guarantee their long term future. The Trust renovates these properties as holiday homes for short stay rentals - the revenue generated allows them to maintain the properties and fund similar future projects, although they usually launch fund raising appeals for specific restoration projects because the costs involved are enormous - one of their relatively recently completed projects was Fairburn Tower in Ross Shire, Scotland, which cost £1.8million to bring back to its former glory.
Put "Landmark Trust" into your search engine for more info?
And it's on the cover of a famous sixties rock group album
Ive been using this causeway and bridge for the past 34 years commuting from the south into Derby.
As cars have gotten larger and drivers less confident, coupled with more housing built to the south, the bridge is now daily bottleneck and can take 15 minutes to cross on a bad day
Thanks. 15mins! Pleased I missed the late afternoon rush
How amazing.
I did notice no heavy goods vehicles on the bridge that would make sense. I believe there is a 7 1/2 ton weight limit and also vehicles are monitored as well by electronic devices apparently?
Yes definitely a 71/2 ton limit. Not sure about the monitoring.
This wasn't always the case and I remember riding in the cab of my dad's old mk 2 Atkinson 8 wheeler tipper across that bridge many years ago. Passing other trucks coming the other way was a slow and careful process!
I cycle over it regularly as I live nearby. A major modern characteristic of the bridge, not obvious on film at motor vehicle speed, are vehicle mirrors, hubcaps, bumper edges and other body parts. Hundreds of them.
There must have been quite a few knocks on that bridge during the motoring era
@@drjohndunn2898 Yes. It's a miracle it's still standing. At least the top bit.
PS I have located an appreciation of the underside structure which may be of interest.
ua-cam.com/video/1XlZEXr3K9E/v-deo.html
Thanks!
Grew up in Willington, just 5 miles away. We always called the pub, the "screw and scarper"... because we were juvenile and thought it was funny.
We all did daft things as kids
Very interesting, thanks
Thanks
Thank you
I cross the bridge regularly and it’s becoming a pain with all the traffic. Regular repairs, pot holes, sunken drains…. There’s only so many times you can plaster over the cracks.
On a more legendary note…. I was bought up being told that the bridge was originally built after a death of a pair of lovers crossing in the marshes…. Not sure if it’s true though…
Strangely enough, the Swarkestone bridge is on a BUS ROUTE!!!!!! Hats off to any bus driver on this route across the bridge in the “Rush Hour!” Also I have come across a few Polish Articulated Lorry’s following a Sat Nav which, because it’s an “A” road, takes them across the bridge!!!
Hats off indeed. I don’t suppose it’s all that much fun squeezing past the buses and artics in the rush hour either. Thanks and best wishes
@@Titan604 I have also deleted mine.
Been over it many times as I worked not far away.
the story goes that the elders of derby convinced bonny prince charlie that there was a great army waiting for them just south of derby and they would be destroyed if they continues, and thats why we have a statue of bonnie prince on a horseback on full street in the city centre, the bonnie prince charlie walk also starts there or ends there.
Thanks for this. The 45 will remain one of the great ‘what ifs’
I assumed that you were driving a car up to 0:19 when you went through that gap!. A similar but much smaller set of bridges is at Hockenhull Platts near Tarvin in Cheshire.
Just had a look on the OS MAP. I must go there one day.
@@drjohndunn2898 They are shown on the 1675 John Ogilby maps as `3 stone bridges`. The maps are available on the Cheshire Local History Association website.
Betwixt Swarkestone and Willington, the location of the former Twyford Ferry used to be evident. Then of course to the north, there's the Weston viaduct.
Thanks for the note. I must admit to not knowing the area all that well
It was a turning point for Bonnie Prince Charlie as his army got cold feet with too many desertions to ignore hence sprung many charged names such as Black, Brown and Green etc!
Many thanks for the information added.
I was born in Derby, just a few miles away and still live in the suburbs, for 68 years. There was a story that the bridge was built by two sisters so that they could meet their lovers. . . . . but who knows.
Thanks. I’ve head something similar. What people will do for lurv!
A beautiful bridge in a great part of the country, if it was down London it would be protected and another built along side for traffic, but no Derbyshire country council only spend the money in north Derbyshire.
Agreed. It’s amazing how it has been left to fend for itself
Built in the same style as Burton OLD bridge that was dismantled about the 1890s , that actually predated the swarkestone bridge .
I’ve read that Burton and Nottingham were the only alternatives to Swarkeston for centuries
@drjohndunn2898 That's true , and explains why burton was for centuries a siege town , and the old bridge itself was the scene of many battles being the only passing place of the river . Which is also the reason the old Abbey, that incidentally survived the reformation , got blown up by accident due to the storing of gunpowder in large quantities for the defence of the town .
Drove over the swarkestone bridge yesterday 🤔
I had to commute this bridge, but only for three months - my new job was orrible.
At least you didn’t move house for an orrible job like I did once!
What is the source of the photograph at 0:52?
Great video thank you for sharing
Perhaps I should have said. It’s from a Country Life article I found on the web. About 1962 I think.
@drjohndunn2898 thanks I'll look for it after the New Year
The Dunstable Augustinian canons remarked on the bridge in their Annals. They knew it as Cordy's bridge. The Annals were translated and published in 2018.
It's certainly a tight squeeze for the Derby to Swadlincote Scania OmniCity bus, especially if a big tractor's coming the other way!
I can well imagine that! Still a very busy bridge.
Live locally as well. There are too many heavy vehicles using it which go unnoticed by the authorities.
I haven't read all comments but there seems no mention of the alleged ghosts of cavalry horsemen that have been reported on occasion.
Yes the old pavilion was used for a photo shoot as the band was passing through and the photographer had been struggling to complete their shoot as they had visited other locations around the area.
You can find shots of the band sitting in front of and on the window ledges.
I did read the rolling stones had a meal at the pub.
If you were to go further down Ingleby Lane and go through the metal gates by foot towards Barrow on trent village following the river.
You would come to a part of the river called the bomb holes.
Where German aircraft dropped bombs short of derby.
Possibly going for railway ,gasworks or rolls royce.
The actual bomb holes are in the river I would imagine most of the older angler's who fished the river knew this.
Was a good spot for barbel and chubb.
The bridge itself has a dark air to it.
Maybe as people look at it they don't know the history and lives lost in the river at that point.
Some were just having fun others with the intention.
Another to look at would be anchor church but you would have to walk to that though information is online.
I'm an old Alvaston lad and this was my playground along with the Derwent from Shardlow through Derby Town and out towards Matlock.
I use the road weekly going to see my Dad.
Now he can tell you some history and stories being 90 year's old.
@@oneeye6437 Thanks for adding to the sparse history that I included. I must take a look at the pavilion next time I pass through.
Yes I imagine the bombers were heading for Rolls Royce. Probably lost and expecting the worse from the RAF, they just dropped the bombs and cleared off home.
It seems there is much more history to this bridge than I imagined, and it is likely that your Dad knows much of it.
It's no wonder Bonnie Prince Charlie turned back at Swarkestone Bridge. He didn't fancy it either. As a driver I hate it, not because I'm a nervous driver but you don't know what the other guy's going to do. Some people take it too fast.
The bridge is known locally as the seven sisters. Because it consists of seven stone arches.
Thanks
Two of my great( x6 )-grandfathers were probably there -
===========================================
Donald Macleod of Berneray ( "Old Trojan" ),
and Roderick Macleod of Cadboll -
both survived Culloden.
Donald killed an English dragoon in mortal combat,
and since he was 54 at the time,
and it was a close-run thing,
he was honoured by "Old Trojan" as a result.
After the defeat,
he was on the run,
reaching the Isle of Harris,
where he lodged in a cave for a year,
while the Royal Navy bombarded his house on Berneray,
and killed the livestock of his tenants and himself.
Tough times!
What a family history! Tough times indeed.
The misery must have been compounded by the thought of what might have been if they’d carried on beyond Derby. I suppose Charles was not gaining the support that he hoped for. Food was running short. No French support etc. They were so close though…
@@drjohndunn2898
Donald was one of the last
true Highland chiefs -
the whole way of life
was being cut back
by laws from London.
A clan chief
had a wide range of responsibilities
towards ALL of his people.
He held powers
enabling him to quickly settle disputes,
or solve local problems.
Contrast that to London law,
where courts are distant,
and lawyer's fees are high,
while time and outcome
are no more than a lottery.
For example,
a great storm
washed away part if the island of Berneray,
as it was land set on sand,
and the chief held meetings
to redistribute land holdings,
so that everyone had a living.
/
The '45 was a romantic dream,
and lacked a co-ordinated strategy
to attack England from several directions
to split her forces.
I mourn the loss of clan integrity,
but overall,
I think Scotland gained.
The Highland Clearances
are blamed on the Landlords,
but their hands were tied
by London's orders and taxes.
The population was rising
faster than jobs could be created.
Donald's son, Alexander,
my great( x5 )-grandfather,
set up a seaweed industry -
much in demand,
but back-breaking work.
He also bought St Kilda,
and developed that,
ploughing back money he made in India
as a sea captain.
He was briefly an MP for Honiton, Devon (!),
and lived at Harrow,
where he died,
having transitioned into British.
Three half-brothers
were senior British Army officers,
including a major- and lieutentant-generals -
one of whom
served under Wellington in India.
So being the sons of a Jacobite rebel
was no bar to advancement
in British service.
And that
was the strength of England-Britain -
a willingness to forgive and absorb.
If only the Irish
had been able to let go of wrongs
committed 500 years before -
while omitting their own atrocities,
and their constant links
to England's Catholic enemies!
Scotland prospered,
where Ireland's development
was mainly by Protestants of Scottish origin.
Ireland had the same problem -
more births
than jobs to sustain them,
but rather than brainstorm new ideas,
Ireland stagnated.
And even when freed from Britain,
the De Valera / Catholic Church grip,
kept Ireland in impoverishment,
until access to EU funds
gave Ireland a way to great riches
by plundering England's tax revenue
by setting up international corporations
trading from Dublin
on sales in Britain.
/
The discovery of new ancestors
changes my perspective on history.
It brings it alive,
when you know your ancestor took part
in events recorded in history!
1066
is a dated every Briton knows!
My great( x24 )-grandfather,
if recods are to be believed,
was King Harald Haadrada,
who was KIA at Stamford Bridge,
invading England.
One of his wives
was a pricess of Kyiv,
and he was head of the Varengian Guard
to the Byzantian Emporer.
He certainly got around,
and took part in a number of campaigns!
/
There's an almost identical crossing of the Trent between Willington and Repton
I’ll no doubt have a look one day. Thanks
I laid the kerb stones on that bridge 40 years ago
Wow… in a tradition of many modifications over the centuries. Thanks and best wishes
This ancient bridge should long ago have been replaced by a newer bridge, with the old one carrying pedestrians and bicycles. The volume of traffic on it and the constrictions make it difficult to drive over. I always fold in my door mirrors before crossing it. If possible I avoid it, use A42 or A38.
Well there’s certainly no denying the demand for a crossing at Swarkestone. I was there early afternoon midweek, and still it was busy.
We could argue that most of it is really an embankment clad in stone or a makeshift dam when the area floods 😊
Is this the only instance of an A-Road crossing an Ancient Monument?
Great question. I simply don’t know
I was once told Swarkestone Bridge is one of only 3 Medieval Monuments in the whole of England that you are allowed to drive on, how true it is I don't know but I would be nice to confirm it and find out where and what the other 2 are
It would indeed be nice to confirm. It’s an interesting question
Its where the 3 couties meet, there is a placard somewhere.
*Counties
How did the name , Jousting field come to bear, near the CHURCH, ????
Has to be researched. Were there tournaments at Swakestone Hall?
Unfortunately you never mentioned the two sisters put up the money 💰 to have it built and why.
Sorry about that. The sisters have been mentioned a few times in the comments to make some amends for my omission. But thanks for pointing it out
This bridge need a bypass, it's very dangerous in modern terms and some people's attitude to driving.
It's horrible to drive through. Bent as a pig's 〰️. Dodge the school double decker oncoming 😬🫣. Varies in width, from narrow, to Jeeeeezuz H. Bats fly under the arches at night. Just next door in a field is a hunting lodge which the Rolling Stones used on one of their covers. It's opposite the Crewe & Harpur PH beside the tiny filling station.🕍
Well I suppose it was built for the odd ox cart and pack horse.
Didn’t pick up the Rolling Stones connection in my research. Thanks for the info.
That's a viaduct, not a bridge. Most of it is solid.
A viaduct is a bridge
Roads only last 6 months now.
if you think that bridge is amazing its nothing compared to the great wall of china
True, but I’ve not got the time to ride that!
Can't afford the petrol money to ride across that one on my yamaha R1.
So why no comment about the remnants of Swarkstone (Jacobean) Hall, now mainly demolished and the bear pit gone. Only to be remembered on a Rolling Stones album cover and the bit left looked after by English heritage and actually run as a holiday let. We were shown round by friends who stayed there. So, no I won't be subscribing as you obviously cherry picked it but did not do any actual proper research.
Oh well, you’ve given me something to look around next time. Thanks
Lime mortar is elastic which is why so many of these structures still exist . OPC or Ordinary Portland Cement or builders cement is brittle and useless
Thanks. Certainly nothing brittle about SB