A Trent Bridge - or was it?

Can You Help?

By RICHARD SHEPPARD

This unused postcard purports to show a bridge over the River Trent. Its four segmental arches and mainly metal superstructure point to it being (having been) an early railway bridge or viaduct. Its length and the rural location suggests a location downstream of Nottingham but the present-day 7-8 crossings between Radcliffe and Scunthorpe are very different in design. Does anyone recognise it or offer a likely location?

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'A Trent Bridge - or was it?' page
This page was added by RICHARD SHEPPARD on 03/04/2018.
Comments about this page

This is an interesting picture of what I think is the original Dunham Bridge over the Trent, which makes this a road bridge not a railway bridge. This was built in the 1830s of cast iron and has a four span structure, engineered by George Leather. It obviously does not look like this now as it has had a lot of alterations, but the piers look like the original bridge. The postcard is correct, a good picture of this bridge can be found on the Nottinghamshire history website pictured in 1910.

By tony clement
On 05/04/2018

Thank you Tony for identifying Dunham Bridge. As it happens, last week I was consulting the East Midlands Collection at the University's King's Meadow campus when, quite by chance, I came upon a detailed history of the bridge: Lewis, M.J.T., 1978.  'Dunham Bridge. A Memorial History.' Occasional Papers in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. No. 5.  Opened for use in 1832, the bridge survived in the form shown in the postcard until c.1976 when, despite being scheduled, it was removed.

By RICHARD SHEPPARD
On 25/04/2018
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