European Adventure 2019 - Transporter Bridges - Day 3

Tees, (Middlesbrough) Transporter Bridge

Today we drove the short distance from Thirsk to Middlesbrough expecting to spend some time at the bridge made famous in modern times by the ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’ guys in that famous TV series.  However, when we arrived there, this is what greeted us.

This was a tad disappointing as of all the bridges we were to visit on this trek, this was the one we fully expected to experience in total, but  that proved not to be.  Speaking with a few of the maintenance staff manning the bridge in its current state we were informed that structural defects to the main bridge itself had been discovered and and the bridge was closed down for an indefinite period while a structural survey was to take place.  On completion of this survey, the necessary remedial work will need to be undertaken before the bridge can be re-opened.  However we did spend some time here photograhing from both sides.

The Tees Transporter Bridge, often referred to as the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees, England. It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from the bridge, across the river in 90 seconds. The gondola can carry 200 people, 9 cars, or 6 cars and one minibus. It carries the A178, Middlesbrough to Hartlepool road. Locally, the bridge is often referred to simply as 'the Transporter'.

The idea of a transporter bridge across the River Tees was considered as early as 1872 when a scheme was submitted to Middlesbrough Corporation by Charles Smith, who at the time was the manager of the Hartlepool Iron Works. The scheme did not move past the discussion stage and it was not until some thirty years later that it resurfaced.

In 1907 an Act of Parliament enabled the bridge to be built and the responsibility for the construction was handed to Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow who, a few years later, would build the Warrington Transporter bridge discussed in some detail earlier.   It was built at a cost of £68,026 6s 8d, a princely sum equivalent to around £7 million at today’s value.  It was commenced in 1910 and was completed in 1911 and led to the demise of the 'Hugh Bell' and 'Erimus' steam ferry services which had operated across the river up to that point. 

Steam Ferry Hugh Bell in action

Steam Ferry Erimus

A transporter bridge was chosen because Parliament ruled that the new scheme of crossing the river had to avoid affecting the river navigation.

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On 17 October 1911 the opening ceremony took place and was performed by Prince Arthur of Connaught.

During World War II the superstructure of the bridge was hit by a bomb.

In 1953, the gondola got stuck half-way. While it was stuck, gale force winds lashed water to within inches of it. However, despite this the gondola and the Transporter Bridge are still running in perfect order.

In 1974, the comedy actor Terry Scott, returning to his hotel in Middlesbrough from a performance at the Billingham Forum, mistook the bridge for a regular toll crossing and drove his Jaguar off the end of the roadway, landing in the safety netting beneath.

In December 1993, the bridge was awarded the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' highest honour, The Heritage Plaque, for engineering excellence, in recognition of the Council's efforts in keeping the bridge in good working order. Its historical importance was also recognised in 1985 by its listing as a Grade II Listed Building and its prominence as a local landmark was further enhanced in 1993 by the installation of flood lights that operate during the winter months.

It has been featured in films and TV programmes including Boys from the Blackstuff, Billy Elliot, The Fast Show, Spender, and Steel River Blues. In the millennium celebrations of 2000, fireworks were fired from its length. The storyline of the third series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, saw the bridge dismantled to be sold to American developers and re-erected in the USA. The local council received calls from people worried that the bridge was really being pulled down, with the BBC adding a disclaimer on the end of the final episode of the series stating that 'The Transporter Bridge is still in Middlesbrough'.

In July 2000 a visitor centre was opened on land previously occupied by the bridge workshop.

Taking pride of place at the entry to the bridge is a new sculpture by Middlesbrough artist Mackenzie Thorpe called 'Waiting For Me Dad'.

After spending some time here we drove the six or so miles to get to Port Clarence on the opposite bank, where, to our utmost surprise we gained access right to the waters edge with no barriers all between us and the waters and mud of the Tees below.  We were able to get more photographs from this side of the river.

Before leaving Middlesbrough, we visited the Tees Newport Bridge, a vertical-lift bridge spanning the River Tees a short distance upriver from Transporter Bridge, linking Middlesbrough with the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the northeast of England; it was completed in 1934. It no longer lifts, but still acts as a road bridge in its permanently down position.

Then it was time for lunch before heading off to North Shields to board our DFDS ferry for our overnight sailing to Amsterdam, from where we would head off towards Hamburg in Germany where we would spend the next few days.

Our cabin on the overnight ferry to Amsterdam

I wonder what awaits us when we visit the Rendsburg and Osten Transporter bridges.