Langwathby Bridge

Jane and I have similar bips today - so here is the history behind this Eden Landmark!

On 23rd March 1968 at 5.10am, in a howling storm, Mr Peter Smith crossed the Langwathby Bridge towards Penrith and found the road on the other side flooded. He reversed back over and went to a telephone to report this and was trying to get through when the line went dead. The bridge had collapsed without warning, cutting all the cables which ran underneath - the time was now 5.20.

The Bridge had stood since at least 1868 until it was swept away by the storm in 1968, and afterwards people were diverted by neighbouring Culgaith to get to Penrith; there were locals, however, that left their vehicles on the Penrith side of the bridge and boated across the river to get to Penrith!

There were a number of estimates to rebuild the bridge over the River Eden, one 50 yards downstream, which would cost £370,000, and another 500 yards upstream, which would divert the road outside the village and which was estimated to cost £309,000. While this was being looked into, a metal girder bridge which had been placed over the damaged Portinscale Bridge, near Keswick, and which was not needed following the opening of a by-pass road into the village, was dismantled and brought to Langwathby and was used during the construction of the existing girder bridge.
The temporary bridge was assembled at one side of the old bridge and pushed out on rollers over the gap; it was balanced on a pivot point and as it was advanced, sections of the present bridge were bolted to the end of it. More sections were added to balance the weight as the bridge was advanced towards the far side. Finally the temporary bridge section reached the far side and was used to draw the larger sections across. As the new bridge advanced, the Portinscale bridge was dismantled and removed.

The temporary bridge, with a one-way stream controlled by traffic lights was opened on 31st May 1968, and has been in use since and is said to be the oldest temporary bridge in use in the country - but I'm not sure how true that is!!