Union Chain Bridge repair work gets £250k boost

The Union Chain Bridge connects England and Scotland across the River Tweed

Repair work on a 200-year-old bridge that links England and Scotland has been given a £250,000 boost.

The Union Chain Bridge was built across the River Tweed in 1820 and was the first vehicular bridge of its type in the UK.

The repairs, costing £10.5m, are due to start this month with Historic England now giving £250,000 to the project.

It was designed by Royal Navy captain Samuel Brown and features a deck suspended by wrought iron chains.

The Historic England grant will fund "essential" repairs to the anchoring mechanisms and masonry attached to the rock face at the English end of the Grade I-listed Bridge.

The chains are anchored into the rock face on the English side of the bridge

Historic England's acting regional director Charles Smith said: "The Union Chain Bridge is one of the most majestic and historically important bridges in the North East and Scotland.

"We are proud to be playing a key role in this cross-border restoration project, which will hopefully help secure the bridge's future for the next 200 years."

The bridge opened on 26 July 1820 with a procession of carriages and about 600 spectators. It replaced a treacherous ford where cargo and lives were often lost.

At the time it was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world at 450ft (137m), but was surpassed six years later by the Menai Bridge in Wales.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund previously gave £3.14m to the scheme, while Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council have also committed £5.7m.