Basic Site Details

Name: Union Suspension Bridge
Town, district or village: Paxton
City or county: Berwickshire
Country: Scotland
Parish: Hutton
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Built by Captian S Brown as a tension bridge.

Captain Samuel Brown, Royal Navy, with advice from John Rennie, 1819-20; improved and strengthened by J A Bean for Tweed Bridge Trustees, 1902-3. Timber carriageway spanning River Tweed suspended from 3 pairs of swept, wrought iron chains of elongated eye bar links. Wrought iron bolt brackets link iron rod suspenders; upper wire cables. Iron railings threaded around suspenders enclosing sides. Channelled pink sandstone, tapering rectangular-plan pylon to W (Scottish) side with keystoned, round-arched opening at centre; mutuled cornice; tall parapet with carved roses and thistles surmounting central block inscribed 'VIS UNITA FORTIOR 1820' to E. Channelled pink sandstone, tapering pylon set into rock face to E (English) side with blocked, pilastered doorway centred at ground framing memorial plaque; mutuled cornice; tall parapet with carved roses and thistles surmounting central block also inscribed 'VIS UNITA FORTIOR 1820'. Rectangular-plan, pink sandstone piers flanking carriageway to W with rubble-coped rubble walls linking pylon to E. Pyramidal-capped, square-plan, pink sandstone piers flanking carriageway to W of E pylon; rubble-coped rubble walls to E.


Thomson's Map, 1821 (Evident - Marked 'Union Bridge'). Sharp, Greenwood & Fowler's Map, 1826 (Evident - Marked 'Chain Bridge'). Ordnance Survey (1857) 25 Inch to the Mile: Ordnance Survey, London. New Statistical Account of Scotland (Completed 1834, Published 1845) pp161-162. Groome F. H. (1883) Ordnance Gazetteer, p281. Lady Furness (1971) 'Netherbyres' Proceedings Of The Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Vol XXXIX, pp14-15. Hume J.R. (1976) The Industrial Archaeology Of Scotland, Vol 1 pp82-83. `Captain Sir Samuel Brown Of Netherbyres¿ (1986) Proceedings Of The Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Vol XLIII, pp73-79. NMRS Photographic Records. Cruft K, Dunbar J, Fawcett R (2006) The Buildings Of Scotland ¿ Borders. Yale University Press: London, p739

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Bridge  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 418191820  
Item 2 of 41820 OpenedAccording to HS
Item 3 of 41834 ConstructionAccording to N.S.A
Item 4 of 419021903Alterations and additionsStrengthening of bridge

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 3John Rennie B18191820Gave advice on bridge
Item 2 of 3(Captain Sir) Samuel Brown  c. 18201834(?) 
Item 3 of 3J A Bean C19021903Strengthening of bridge

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Cruft, Kitty, Dunbar, John and Fawcett, Richard2006Borders (The Buildings of Scotland) New Haven and London: Yale University Pressp739

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 2Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register13645 
Item 2 of 2National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSNMRS Architects Index