Kalemouth Suspension Bridge
Early carriage suspension bridge
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Near Eckford, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 8LQ
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Erected circa 1825 at the expense of a local landowner, William Mein of Ormiston, this is one of the earliest surviving carriage suspension bridges. It spans the River Teviot near near the point where Kalewater joins the Teviot.
Its builder, Captain (later Sir) Samuel Brown R.N. (1776 - 1852), was a manufacturer of chain cabling, having patented his iron bar links in 1817. Brown had earlier (1819-20) built another suspension bridge, the Union Bridge (linking Scotland and England) some 23 miles (37 km) to the east, over the River Tweed near Paxton (Berwickshire). The Union Bridge is the earliest surviving carriage suspension bridge in the UK still in vehicular use.
The bridge, of wrought iron construction with a timber deck (somewhat overlain by necessary late 20th century repairs), has a span of 58.9m (186 ft) and a width of 2.6m (8 ft 8 ins) between the suspension points. The chains are suspended from elegant pyramidal stone towers.
The bridge remains open to single file traffic; once traversed, it allows the curious traveller access to an excellent back lane to Kelso via the hamlet of Roxburgh, once the county town of Roxburghshire. It is Listed Category A.
As of July 2021 the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic pending repairs.
By road: Off A698, near Eckford
Drewry, C.S., A Memoir of Suspension Bridges: comprising a History of their Origin, BiblioBazaar, ISBN-10: 0554725614(2008)
Hume, J. R., The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland: 1, Lowlands and Borders,Batsford, ISBN-10: 0713432349 (1976)
Minchinton, W., A Guide to Industrial Archaeology Sites in Britain, HarperCollins, ISBN-10: 0246117818 (1984)
Pugsley, A. G., The Theory of Suspension Bridges, ASIN: B0017GVWIA (1957)
Rastorfer, D., Suspension Bridge: A History. Yale University Press,ISBN-10: 030011429X (2010)
Steinman, D.B., A Practical Treatise on Suspension Bridges. Hayne Press, ISBN-10: 1445517639 (2006)
Strang, C. A. Borders and Berwick: Illustrated Architectural Guide to the Scottish Borders and Tweed Valley, Rutland Press, ISBN-10: 1873190107 (1994)
Forgotten Relics - Listed Bridges and Viaducts
RCAHMS - Kalemouth Suspension Bridge