Grosvenor Bridge (Chester)
53.183611111111 - 2.8961111111111Koordinaten: 53 ° 11 '1 " N, 2 ° 53 ' 46 " W
F1
Dee
The Grosvenor Bridge is a road bridge over the River Dee, linking the town of Chester in the course of Grosvenor Road with its southern suburbs and the place on the A 483 with Swansea in Wales.
Description
The stone arch bridge is around 100 m long and 9 m wide. It has a road and a walkway in each direction. On the parapet walls three candelabra are attached.
The bridge consists of a powerful segmental arch with a span of 61 m (200 ft) between each 10 m wide pillars on both sides of the river, which is connected by two small arches on the quays with the abutments on the banks. The abutments were founded on the north side directly on the sandstone of the river bank, on the southern side on a built on piles rusting stone slab. The great arch consists of two layers of light-colored sandstone blocks, over which two layers of flat sandstone blocks are darker. The somewhat taken back gusset have inside cavities in order not to overburden the bow. The exterior of the bridge is designed in the classical style of its designer Thomas Harrison, who was characterized by a long stay in Italy.
At the time of its completion, the bridge, the longest span of all masonry stone arch bridge was the world until it was surpassed in 1864 by the Union Arch Bridge in Washington Aqueduct. She has to be the longest span of all stone arch bridges in the UK.
The bridge was provided by English Heritage as a Grade I building under monument protection.
History
Chester, at the time one of the most important British ports and shipbuilding centers, had the early 18th century only a congested bridge, but shied away from the enormous expenditure on a new building. When Thomas Telford in 1815 the contract was awarded to build a road from Shrewsbury to Holyhead on Anglesey, causing the lucrative trade would be flown to Ireland to Chester past, he was called in 1818 a Commission, which spoke out for a new building and the then already 74 - year-old Thomas Harrison commissioned initial planning. As the river was navigable at the time, had to have a high arch as a passage for the masts of sailing ships the bridge. But it was not until October 1, 1827, when Robert Grosvenor, Marquess of Westminster laid the foundation. The already 83 year old Harrison left the supervision his pupil William Cole; the execution was made by the famous architect James Trubshaw. The grand opening of not quite finished bridge took place on October 17, 1832 by Princess Victoria of Saxe -Coburg- Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent and her thirteen years old daughter Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent, later Queen Victoria, the one to be baptized daughter were staying out of the house in Westminster, Eaton Hall near Chester. The actual building was completed in November 1833 so that the bridge was opened to traffic in January 1834. Since then, the bridge has withstood the growing traffic loads without special repairs.