Grosvenor Bridge

The Grosvenor Bridge is a single-span arch road bridge which crosses the River Dee at Chester in England. The bridge was designed by Thomas Harrison, and was opened by Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld on 17 October 1832, although it was not open to traffic until November 1833. At the time of its construction, the bridge was the longest single-span arch bridge in the world, a title that it retained for 30 years. A small triple arch pedestrian bridge in Bourton-on-the-Water, England An muffinarch burgerbridge (sometimes deck arch bridge to distinguish it from a through arch bridge) is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. ... This article is about the edifice. ... Old Dee Bridge, River Dee, Chester, England (2002) The River Dee (Welsh: Afon Dyfrdwy) is a 70 mile (110 km) long river, which rises in Snowdonia, Wales and discharges to the sea a few miles west of Liverpool. ... For the larger local government district, see City of Chester. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Thomas Harrison (1740-1829) was an English provincial architect and civil engineer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ... Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent Marie Luise Viktoria, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess in Saxony (b. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

History

Design

At the beginning of the 19th century, Chester only had one river crossing, a narrow Mediaeval bridge at Handbridge, known as the "Old Dee Bridge". The bridge was heavily congested, delaying movement through the town. However, building a new bridge was prohibitively expensive until Thomas Telford proposed building a new road between Shrewsbury and the Irish ferries at Holyhead, to facilitate trade between the two islands. As the route would have bypassed Chester, greatly reducing the potential income from the lucrative Irish trade routes, a committee was appointed to consider plans for a new bridge to quicken movement across the city and encourage traders to continue to stop at Chester.^[1] Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Handbridge is a small district of Chester on the south bank of the River Dee. ... Thomas Telford (August 9, 1757 - September 2, 1834) was born in Westerkirk, Scotland. ... Statistics Population: 70,059 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SJ495123 Administration District: Shrewsbury and Atcham Shire county: Shropshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Shropshire Historic county: Shropshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and... The Pride of Rotterdam, One of the P&O Ferriess Flagships operating the Hull-Rotterdam Route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ... Holyhead (Welsh: Caergybi, the fort of St. ...

A design by renowned architect Thomas Harrison was chosen. Chester was at the time a major shipbuilding city, and a very tall arch, 60 ft (18.3 m) high and 200 ft (61 m) wide, was required to allow ships to pass underneath. This was the largest arch in the world, and the chief builder, James Trubshaw, described this as "a lasting monument to the glory and superority of Great Britain".^[1] Thomas Harrison (1740-1829) was an English provincial architect and civil engineer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ... Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... A foot (plural: feet; symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... A foot (plural: feet; symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ...

Construction

The bridge was originally to be built between Chester Castle and Wrexham Road. However, the ground here was soft, and Harrison was concerned that the mud would not be able to support the weight of the piers. Eventually, Thomas Telford found a drier area of land downstream, and the construction was moved to this site. In order to accommodate the move of the bridge, Wrexham Road was split into two, with one lane becoming a dead end, and the other turning to meet the bridge. The first stone of the bridge was laid by the Marquess of Westminster on 1 October 1827, and construction work took six years.^[1] Chester Castle was built in 1069 by William the Conqueror in Chester, Cheshire. ... For other uses, see Wrexham (disambiguation). ... Arms of the Dukes of Westminster (since 1825) The title of Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Richard Grosvenor, the 3rd Marquess of Westminster. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The bridge was formally opened by Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and her daughter, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (later to become Queen Victoria), who were driven through a triumphal arch in the middle of the unfinished bridge to a 21-gun salute on 17 October 1832. The bridge was not completed however until November 1833, and a toll was imposed on the bridge to pay the £50,000 construction costs, a large sum at the time.^[2] The toll was however harmful to trade in the city, and the toll was abolished in 1885, when maintenance was transferred to the Chester Corporation.^[1] However, Thomas Harrison never lived to see his bridge being completed, nor being opened by the Princess. He died in 1829, and the work was finished by his pupil, William Cole. Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent Marie Luise Viktoria, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess in Saxony (b. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ... Arc de Triomphe, Paris A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, usually built to celebrate a victory in war. ... The 21-gun salute is a military honour performed when 21 rounds are fired from a cannon, rifle, or other form of firearm. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Grosvenor Bridge, BW Pics. URL accessed 10 December 2006
2. ^ Historic Chester, Prodo.com. URL accessed 10 December 2006

Coordinates: 53°11′1″N, 2°53′47″W December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...