Wearmouth Bridge (1796)
Wearmouth Bridge | |
|---|---|
West View of Wearmouth Bridge, published 1798 | |
| Coordinates | 54°54′36″N 1°22′58″W / 54.91°N 1.3828°W |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Single span |
| Material | Cast iron |
| Total length | 240 ft (73 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | Thomas Paine |
| Constructed by | Thomas Wilson |
| Construction cost | £28,000 |
| Opened | 1796 |
| Inaugurated | 9 August 1796 |
| Rebuilt | 1857-1859 |
| Demolished | 1927-1929 |
| Replaced by | Wearmouth Bridge |
| Location | |
The first Wearmouth Bridge was a bridge across the River Wear in Sunderland, England and the second major bridge to be made from cast iron. It was considered one of the wonders of the industrial age, and was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as being 'a triumph of the new metallurgy and engineering ingenuity [...] of superb elegance'.