Crosskeys Bridge
Encyclopedia
Crosskeys Bridge spans the tidal River Nene
in Sutton Bridge
, Lincolnshire
. When it was built in 1897, it was the third bridge to cross the Nene in Sutton Bridge. The bridge is still in use today carrying the busy A17 between Lincolnshire and Norfolk
. It was originally a dual purpose bridge serving the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Company on what is now the westbound carriageway and the road was on the eastbound side. The railway line was closed in 1965 and the bridge took on its present day use as a road bridge.
Armstrong Whitworth
built the engines which supplied the power to swing the bridge. The hydraulic house is now undergoing conversion to a family home but will retain the hydraulics and accumulators, which are housed in a 40 feet (12.2 m) high tower.
Tolls were charged on the bridge until 1903. The bridge swings several times a week to allow ships and pleasure craft using the River Nene to pass through to the Port of Wisbech
.
The bridge was used during the filming of the 2007 adaptation of Philip Pullman's
novel, The Golden Compass.
River Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
in Sutton Bridge
Sutton Bridge
Sutton Bridge is a village and civil parish in southeastern Lincolnshire, England on the west bank of the River Nene in the district of South Holland.-Geography:...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. When it was built in 1897, it was the third bridge to cross the Nene in Sutton Bridge. The bridge is still in use today carrying the busy A17 between Lincolnshire and Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. It was originally a dual purpose bridge serving the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
Company on what is now the westbound carriageway and the road was on the eastbound side. The railway line was closed in 1965 and the bridge took on its present day use as a road bridge.
Armstrong Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
built the engines which supplied the power to swing the bridge. The hydraulic house is now undergoing conversion to a family home but will retain the hydraulics and accumulators, which are housed in a 40 feet (12.2 m) high tower.
Tolls were charged on the bridge until 1903. The bridge swings several times a week to allow ships and pleasure craft using the River Nene to pass through to the Port of Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
.
The bridge was used during the filming of the 2007 adaptation of Philip Pullman's
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
novel, The Golden Compass.