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Verbarson, Skerne Railway Bridge South Side May 2021, CC BY-SA 4.0
Skerne Bridge
Stories from the S&DR
Did you know the world's oldest railway bridge still in use today is right here at the Skerne River? This bridge, known as Skerne Bridge, has an incredible history that showcases human ingenuity and a few surprising twists along the way!
The Stockton and Darlington Railway needed to cross the Skerne River to complete its groundbreaking line.
Originally, engineer, George Stephenson, planned a bridge made of stone and iron. However, after a nearby bridge at the Gaunless River was damaged by flooding, the railway's board decided to rethink the design.
Stephenson teamed up with architect, Ignatius Bonomi, who suggested a simpler and sturdier solution – a stone arch bridge.
The redesigned bridge was completed just in time for the railway's grand opening on 25th of September 1825. At first, the bridge was built to handle about 10,000 tonnes of coal. But the railway was such a huge success that by 1828, it was carrying five times that amount at around 52,000 tonnes – plus around 40,000 passengers each year!
The extra weight started to take its toll. Dirt embankments supporting the bridge began to weaken. To fix this, the railway's inspector of masonry, John Falcus Carter, added stone wing walls in 1829 to reinforce the structure.
Carter's work was greatly admired and so, the bridge, complete with its new supports, was featured on the company's share certificates as a symbol of pride.
The story doesn't end there.
By 1830, traffic had grown so much that a second track was added, and the bridge needed further reinforcements in 1832, handled by the S&DR's civil engineer, Thomas Storey.
Later in the 19th century, the bridge was widened to include three extra tracks on a separate structure alongside it. However, this extension was removed in the 20th century, leaving behind two stone piers you can still see today.
The bridge's fame didn't just come from its engineering feats. For the railway's 50th anniversary, local artist, John Dobbin, was commissioned to paint its opening day.
Dobbin, who had been a child in Darlington when the railway first opened, remembered the excitement but not all the details. When he painted the bridge, he mistakenly included Carter's stone wing walls, which weren't actually there on the opening day.
Later, artists copied this mistake and it even appeared incorrectly on the Bank of England's £5 note in the 1990s!
Despite the artistic mix-ups, Skerne Bridge remains a powerful symbol of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Its solid construction and thoughtful reinforcements have allowed it to continue carrying trains since 1825, making it the oldest railway bridge in the world still in use for its original purpose.
Next time you pass by, take a moment to appreciate this amazing piece of history – proof that great engineering truly stands the test of time!
Skerne bridge is the oldest railway bridge still in use today stands right here over the Skerne River in Darlington. Known as Skerne Bridge, this remarkable structure has been carrying trains continuously since 1825.
In the early 1820s, the Stockton and Darlington Railway needed to cross the Skerne River to complete their pioneering railway line. The original plan by engineer George Stephenson involved a combination of stone and iron. But after a flood damaged a nearby bridge at the Gaunless River, the railway company reconsidered.
Stephenson collaborated with architect Ignatius Bonomi, who proposed a more robust solution, a stone arch bridge. This revised design was completed just in time for the grand opening on 25 September 1825.
Designed to carry around 10,000 tonnes of coal, the bridge quickly faced new challenges. The railway proved more popular than anyone had expected by 1828 it was transporting five times the original load, along with 40,000 passengers annually. The increased traffic began to wear on the structure, especially the earth embankments.
In 1829, John Falcus Carter, the railway's inspector of masonry, added stone wing walls to reinforce the bridge. His improvements were so respected that the bridge, complete with its new features, was proudly displayed on the company's share certificates.
As railway traffic surged, a second track was added in 1830, and civil engineer Thomas Storey carried out further strengthening in 1832. Later that century, a separate structure was added alongside the original bridge to support three more tracks though this extension was removed in the 20th century, its stone piers remain visible today.
Skerne Bridge is not just an engineering marvel, it's also part of local artistic legend. In 1875, for the railway's 50th anniversary, artist John Dobbin painted its opening day. Although Dobbin had witnessed the event as a child, he mistakenly included Carter's wing walls in his painting a feature not added until years later.
This error was repeated by later artists and even appeared on the Bank of England's £5 note in the 1990s.
