Ferry Bridge (also called the Stapenhill Ferry Bridge and the Stapenhill Suspension Bridge) is a Victorian pedestrian bridge over the River Trent in Staffordshire, England. The bridge and its extension, the Stapenhill Viaduct, link Burton upon Trent town centre to the suburb of Stapenhill half a mile away on the other side of the river.
The bridge is a "semi-suspension" bridge, of which this is the first and only one of its kind in Europe to be built to this design.[1] It was designed and constructed by a local firm, Thornewill and Warham. It is a three-span footbridge totalling 240 ft (73 m) in length. The chains were made of flat bar iron, and are continuous from one end of the bridge to the other. They are riveted to the ends of the main girders, not anchored at a distance as they would normally be on a traditional suspension design. The bridge is made of wrought iron and cast iron, and is Grade II listed.
The bridge was built to replace a small ferry service that had operated at the same site since the 13th century. The Ferry Bridge was gifted to the town by brewing magnate Michael Arthur Bass, later Lord Burton. It was officially opened on Wednesday 3 April 1889, and the ceremony was attended by between 8,000 and 10,000 people.[2]
The bridge has remained in use by hundreds of people every day, apart from during two renovations, most recently in 2015–2016. The bridge carries National Cycle Route 63 between Stapenhill and Burton town centre.
- ^ A.O.F. Guide to Burton-on-Trent, 1911, p.13
- ^ "Ferry Bridge – Building and Opening". The local history of Burton on Trent. Retrieved 3 November 2017.