Tuesday 4 September 2012

Swarkestone Bridge

To boaters Swarkestone is famous as the junction with the now-closed Derby Canal and as a base and moorings for the Swarkestone Boat Club, but to the wider world is perhaps better known for its 18th-Century bridge and 13th-Century stone causeway, which between them take what is now the busy A514 road almost a mile across the flood plain of the River Trent.
The bridge is a remarkable piece of engineering in its own right. . .



. . .but the causeway is truly remarkable. Its size and layout, coupled with the difficulty of access to the surrounding land make it impossible to do justice to in a photograph, but I have found this video on You Tube, which I enjoyed - and not just because it features one of Arriva's double-decker buses! - and which might give you an idea of the fun I had walking across it pushing a broken-down bike yesterday!

2 comments:

KevinTOO said...

Hi Jim & welcome to south Derbyshire :)

Two important items you missed out of you blog if I may suggest...

1-Jacobite Rebellion
On 4 December 1745 the Jacobite Army of Charles Edward Stuart reached Derby and an advanced party of seventy Highlanders were sent to secure Swarkestone Bridge and secure the crossing over the Trent. Six miles south of Derby, the bridge is generally accepted to be the southern most point reached by Bonnie Prince Charlie in his advance on London. Four hours later Government troops arrived to destroy the bridge. The Jacobite advanced force defended the crossing until 6 December 1745. Finding no evidence of support south of the Trent, the army of Highlanders turned around and started their long retreat which would eventually end at Culloden.

2-I live hereabouts.

Make your mind up which is more important.... LOL

But should you ever need a car lift in the future if you get another flat tyre in my area please send me an email and I'll let you have my number.

Cheers,
Kevin

Jim said...

Kevin,
Thank you. I was aware of the "Bonnie Prince Charlie" history and did mean to mention it in the post, but forgot. No you've done it for me and very eloquently too!

Thanks also for the offer of assistance should my bike let me down again!