Wynch Bridge or Winch Bridge is a suspension bridge on the River Tees . The original Wynch Bridge was said to be the first suspension bridge in Britain, being built in 1741.
11-488: To persons accustomed to it, it is a very safe passage, but to strangers it is tremendous. At every step, the chains and their superstructure yield and spring, and there is no safeguard for the passenger but a small hand rail, which if leaned against gives the bridge a swinging motion, whilst beneath you yawns a black and horrid chasm, 60ft in depth, where the torrent rushes with a mighty noise amongst broken rocks. William Hutchinson , 1776 The original Bridge comprised
22-485: A single span of 60 feet (18 m) with a width of two feet (61 cm) and the deck laid directly upon 2 chains, 21 inches (53 cm) apart. It was restrained by further chains connecting the deck to the rock faces of the 60ft deep chasm below. It had only one hand rail, when first constructed but was given two after the damage of the 1774 flood. The bridge was built in 1741 for use by lead-miners, wishing to cross between Holwick and Bowlees . Tradition holds, that it
33-679: A solicitor in Barnard Castle , County Durham . He was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries on 15 February 1781, and communicated in November 1788 an 'Account of Antiquities in Lancashire' ( Archæologia , ix. 211-18). Hutchinson died on 7 April 1814, having survived his wife only two or three days. He left three daughters and a son. In all his undertakings Hutchinson received assistance from George Allan . In 1785 he published
44-623: The Spirit of Masonry (1775), gained him the title of "father of masonic symbolism". The book received the sanction of the Grand Lodge of England and went through nine editions during his lifetime. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : " Hutchinson, William (1732-1814) ". Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. Grand Lodge of England Too Many Requests If you report this error to
55-679: The Valley of Hecass; a Tale , and a volume of Letters addressed to the Minister, 1798, by, "Freeholder North of Trent". He had also prepared a copy of his History of Durham , corrected for a second edition, and a Poetical Sketch of his own life. He was initiated into Freemasonry on 4 June 1770 where he eventually became the Worshipful Master of Barnard Castle Lodge of Concord. He was also founding Master of Lodge No. 461 in Raby. His book,
66-407: The chains to the rock. An inspection in 2018 lead to safety fears due to the condition of suspension hangers, and the bridge closed for 2 months in 2019 to undertake urgent repairs, with decking and suspension joints being fixed. William Hutchinson (topographer) William James Hutchinson (1732–1814) was an English lawyer, antiquary and topographer. By 1760 Hutchinson was established as
77-485: The first volume of his History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham , Newcastle, founded on Allan's manuscript collections; the second volume appeared in 1787, and the third in 1794. His work was carried on while he was prosecuting a lawsuit with the publisher; being unable to find purchasers for the thousand copies which he printed, he disposed of four hundred to John Nichols . Another revised edition
88-557: The manager of Covent Garden, but neither was acted or printed. A third play written by him, entitled The Princess of Zanfara , after being rejected by Harris, was printed anonymously in 1792, and frequently performed at provincial theatres. His other writings are: In 1776 Hutchinson edited a volume of Poetical Remains by his brother Robert, who had died in November 1773. It was printed at George Allan's private press at Darlington , which also put out many of Hutchinson's Addresses to his subscribers. He left in manuscript The Pilgrim of
99-530: The south end of the bridge was lifted from its moorings. It was repaired, although no details of its repair have been located. It was repaired again in 1802, after one of the chains broke causing the death of 2 people. The bridge continued in use until a similar replacement was erected in 1830. This replacement was financed by the Marquess of Cleveland , and was moved ten metres (33 ft) further downstream from Low Force, with more substantial metal pillars holding
110-610: Was issued at Durham in 1823 in 3 vols. Hutchinson's other topographical works are: He also edited anonymously Thomas Randal's State of the Churches under the Archdeaconry of Northumberland, and in Hexham Peculiar Jurisdiction (1779?). In 1788 he composed a tragedy called Pygmalion, King of Tyre , and soon afterwards another named The Tyrant of Orixa . Both plays were submitted to Thomas Harris ,
121-790: Was the Holwick miners, employed at the Read-grove and Pike-Law lead mines, who constructed the bridge, with suggestion that inspiration was taken descriptions of suspension bridges found in the Himalayas . It is believed that this would make it the first suspension bridge in Britain, and only the second in Europe, after the first in Saxony was built 7 years earlier. In the Great Flood of 1771
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