Wellington Street Swing Bridge, Hull, UK

The growth of Hull as a British port at the time of William Wilberforce (1759–1833) saw the construction of docks and dock bridges similar to those in London, Plymouth and Liverpool. These structures now form an essential part of Britain's heritage and are rightly protected under listed buildings and conservation regulations. However, they remain at risk, especially if left unused. For several years, Hull City Council has been developing a conservation policy for its nine listed bridges and a comprehensive historical audit was thus required. This paper looks back into the history of Hull Docks and the development of cast-iron swing bridges between 1800 and 1850. The paper describes the design of Hull's cast-iron Wellington Street Swing Bridge as part of a scheme for restoration of the bridge to working order. When the bridge was originally built, it would have been required to carry horse-drawn traffic that would probably have weighed no more than 5 t in total and carried commodities at walking pace, thus minimising the impact factor. Its new role, to stimulate community living and regeneration, is to offer pedestrian and cycle use with occasional use by vehicles weighing up to 7?5 t. The original bridge design may have been based on a three-pinned arch, although this is just speculation. The recent design by consulting engineer Pell Frischmann considered the bridge's articulation; this is described together with other parameters that influenced analysis of the cast-iron structure.