The summer season so far in Whitby has been dominated, and not for the first time, by a town divided, a broken bridge and a debate about where the funds were coming from to pay for it.
As a solution seems to have been reached for now, following emergency repairs over the last few weeks, it would appear the very same debate was being had as far back as the 1300s.
A publication by John Freeman, “The History of Whitby’s Swing Bridge and its Predecessors”, produced in 2009 to mark the 100th anniversary of the official opening of the Swing Bridge, gives a fascinating insight into the history of the bridge and how it was just as important to the function of the town then, as it is now.
It is hard to imagine how the harbour would look without the swing bridge, or how the town would have functioned without it, but it seems crossing on foot was done via sandbanks at low tide or stepping stones.
The first bridge type structure would have been planks of wood across the estuary, which were pulled back to allow boats through.
Someone though, did have the foresight to make money from people using the bridge by charging a toll to put towards its repairs and maintenance (which does perhaps pose a controversial question for a modern day solution to the bridge’s problems given the amount of people crossing it per day).
The book tells how in 1351, Edward III “granted to his beloved bailiffs and proven men of the town of Whitby authority to collect tolls from all users of the bridge carrying goods for sale in order to pay for its repair.”
It cost ¼ d (quarter of a penny) to take a horseload of corn over the bridge or ½ d for a cartload; two salmon cost ¼ d; 10 sheep, goats or pigs were 1 d while a horse or a cow were ½ d.
For each ship landing goods it cost 3d.
In 1407, Thomas Husey, a merchant left an oak tree in his legacy for bridge repairs.
In the 1600s there was a bit of a row about who owned the bridge – and therefore who should pay for its upkeep.
Was it the responsibility of North Riding County or Whitby Abbey?
In the end the county took charge of it and within 20 years there was a project to remove and rebuild the bridge because the harbour was changing shape, riverside properties were vulnerable to flooding at high tide and there was an argument about dredging causing problems in the harbour.
Now, they do say things take time in politics but talking about the same issues nearly 400 years later is quite something.
Here’s another snippet which may sound a little familiar to regular bridge users of late…
In 1767, it was agreed to build a new bridge with stone piers.
The cost was £2,860 and the stone was to be provided by “the Quarry of John Yeoman Esquire situate in the Constablery of Hawsker cum Stainsecar”.
It was actually ordered by a court that John Hancock would also be paid “Twenty Eight pounds Sixteen shillings and Sixpence Halfpenny” to build a boat to take passengers from one side of the Eske (as it was then referred) and back.
However, all was not well. It was a drawbridge and the pulleys and timbers kept getting caught on passing ships and the gap wasn’t really big enough for the boats.
Twenty years later, Whitby Sessions decided to build a new bridge as it would have been too expensive to repair.
The report from the meeting reads: “Having viewed the state of Whitby Bridge and taken every means to inform ourselves of the situation thereof do, First RESOLVE that it appears to us to be more advantageous for the Riding to rebuild the said Bridge than expend any large sum of money in the repairs thereof as it appears that any sum expended now in the repairs thereof might afford but a very temporary relief as from the impaired situation of the present piers the whole bridge may be carried away by any tempestuous weather or damage by shipping.”
Mr Freeman’s research for his book, finds that it took until 1835 to rectify the situation.
Plans to replace the drawbridge were made up in 1813, a committee the following year ruled the whole of the North Riding would be faced with the financial burden, and only Whitby people would benefit from a new bridge.
It was another 18 years, 1832, before a council order was issued “for the building of a new bridge at Whitby”.
The drawbridge was demolished in 1833 and in 1834 foundations for the new bridge laid.
Francis Pickernell was the resident engineer and had been involved with many other Whitby harbour projects.
This one is said to have cost £10,000 and a ceremony with much pomp was had at the opening.
However, the celebration was short-lived.
Boats were getting bigger, the fishing fleet was expanding, ship-building was thriving. The bridge’s narrow opening was a problem and it was suffering from collision damage. By 1894, it was deemed “inadequate”.
It was closed for major repairs and so, some 130 years before what we have seen already this summer, a ferry was put on to get people over the river (the new bridge wasn’t opened until 1980).
In nine hours, 6,647 people had used the ferry.
Another issue, by now, was vehicles using the bridge, as well as pedestrians and boats.
In 1906, Whitby Urban District Council (W.U.D.C) took on the responsibility of the bridge from the Harbour Board, wanting to tackle what had become an “urgent problem”.
After a lengthy negotiation with the County Council, it was agreed W.U.D.C would, within ten years, replace it with a bridge “not less than 23 feet wide and of sufficient strength to carry a traction engine weighing 15 tons.”
The current swing bridge was designed by J Mitchell Moncrieff of Newcastle and built by Heenan and Froude Ltd, who also built Blackpool Tower.
A temporary bridge was built over the river so the old one could be demolished, making way for what is the fourth known official bridge, with makeshift and other structures having served a purpose too for hundreds of years.
The western supports went 39 feet below water level before finding stable ground, dolphins were put around the piers to protect the structure from collision damage and the surface was made from granite chips to keep the weight as low as possible.
Tests before opening found it took the bridgemen five minutes and four seconds to open the bridge by motor, and 11 minutes and 20 seconds by hand.
It cost £22,582 14s and 4d to build the current swing bridge, officially opened in July 1909 by Mrs W Gervase Beckett, the wife of a local MP to large crowds, flags flying and bands playing.
Since “The History of Whitby’s Swing Bridge and its Predecessors” was published, discounting the last few months, there have been numerous questions over the future of the swing bridge.
When Mr Freeman wrote about his thoughts on the future of the bridge, he asked if it would be traditional, pedestrian, pedestrian and vehicle, or on another site?
When he wrote, “The unthinkable is that after so many centuries we have no bridge there at all” – did he realise it would so soon be a relevant concern?
