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Prebends Bridge


Prebends Bridge over the River Wear at Durham was built for the Dean and Chapter of Durham to provide access to Durham Cathedral from the south, via South Bailey. It was designed by George Nicholson and built from 1772 to 1778, replacing a temporary bridge built after the footbridge of 1574 was swept away in the Great Flood of 1771. The bridge was restored from 1955 to 1956 and is now primarily used by pedestrians and cyclists. Prebends Bridge is a Grade I listed structure and a scheduled monument on the National Heritage List for England.

Prebends Bridge, along with Framwellgate and Elvet bridges, is one of three stone-arch bridges in the centre of Durham, England, that cross the River Wear.

History

Prebends Bridge was designed by George Nicholson and built from 1772 to 1778. The bridge was built on the instructions of the Dean of Durham and served as a private road for the Dean and Chapter of Durham, giving access from the south through the Watergate.

It replaced a temporary bridge built after the footbridge, built in 1574, was swept away during a flood in 1771. The current bridge affords an excellent view of the cathedral and was built specifically with aesthetic considerations in mind - it was built slightly north of the prior bridge, at a wider part of the river, to improve the views available. Trees were planted along the riverbank to complete the Romantic picture.

Forming part of the estate of Durham Cathedral, the bridge is a Grade 1 listed building and is situated below the Watergate at the end of South Bailey (with which it is in concurrence), just after St Cuthbert's Society. Although the bridge is wide enough for vehicles, it is mainly used as a footbridge as it only leads to the Riverside paths and up to a closed road barrier to South Bailey. The bridge was restored from 1955 to 1956.

In autumn 2010 the bridge was temporarily reopened to road traffic under 3 tonnes while Saddler Street was closed because of extensive repaving works as part of the Heart of the City project, sponsored by Durham City Vision.

Plaque

Prebends Bridge has a plaque to display Sir Walter Scott's words about Durham:

Grey towers of Durham

Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles

Half church of God, half castle ‘gainst the Scot

And long to roam these venerable aisles

With records stored of deeds long since forgot

 

Text from Wikipedia, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (accessed: 08/02/2019).
Visit the page: Prebends Bridge for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.

Durham (City) Scheduled Monument 1778 Historic Buildings and Monuments in Durham city Grade I Listed Bridges South Bailey River Wear
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Prebends Bridge reflected in the River Wear

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Ice skating on the frozen river at Prebends Bridge, Durham, ca 1900

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Prebends Bridge, River Wear, Durham

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Prebends Bridge and Durham Cathedral

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Prebends Bridge, Cathedral & Castle

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IMG_0592

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Durham

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Prebends Bridge

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Prebends' Bridge

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Prebends Bridge

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Prebends Bridge

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Prebends bridge, Durham

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Prebends Bridge, Durham

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20120619 IMG_0159

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Prebends Bridge with reflection, Durham City

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Sculpture and Prebends Bridge, Durham

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Balustrade on Prebends Bridge

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Prebends Bridge, Durham

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IMG_7047.jpg

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20120619 IMG_0160

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SIR WALTER SCOTT IN DURHAM

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Prebend's Bridge, Durham

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Ordnance Survey Cut Mark

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Prebends Bridge

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PREBENDS BRIDGE - Durham - List Entry
- "Bridge. 1772-8 by George Nicholson for the Dean and Chapter of Durham; restored 1955-6. Coursed squared sandstone and ashlar. 3 round arches with rusticated voussoirs; rusticated cutwaters; large 3-sided buttresses …

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Prebends Bridge, Durham, Durham, England

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List grade: 1
List number: 1121354
County: County Durham
Grid ref: NZ2714541856
Wikipedia: Prebends Bridge

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