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Iron Bridge


Stuart0742

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I am sure this must have been covered before, but what is the history of this bridge.

Tried 30 minutes, can't open it ... no idea why.

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Found this in an advert for The Riverside Cafe Bar at Bridgehouses as was.

A plotted History of the Riverside and the area -

The Riverside pub began life as the Brown Cow, and nestled in a small hamlet of cottages and shops then known as Bridgehouses, this was due to the wooden bridge which was built to allow access to and from Sheffield, the wood bridge was replaced in 1815 with an Iron one, again replaced by the Borough Bridge in 1851 when Corporation Street was opened, this bridge was washed away when the Dale Dyke dam burst in 1864. Another Iron bridge was later built. A public bathing area was developed at the side of the Brown Cow, and now forms part of the beer garden at the Riverside.

A brewer by the name of John Smith made a claim for £15.10.9d for damages to the 'Old Brown Cow at Bridgehouses. The brewer had acquired the pub as Carters and Smith in November 1851. The Riverside was rebuilt as a residential hotel with staff being accomadated in the MASSIVE cellar system which comprised of 16 seperate cellars.

In 1890 SH ward & Co took over the pub were it remained in their estate until their demise in 1994, it then under went major changes both in ownership and name, renamed as Morriseys Riverside Pub. In 2002 the present management team took over and the Riverside Cafe bar was born.

http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Riverside_Cafe_Bar_Sheffield__6348223

Please feel free to remove link if advertising is not allowed ( Not sure about copyright rules )

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Found this in an advert for The Riverside Cafe Bar at Bridgehouses as was.

A plotted History of the Riverside and the area -

The Riverside pub began life as the Brown Cow, and nestled in a small hamlet of cottages and shops then known as Bridgehouses, this was due to the wooden bridge which was built to allow access to and from Sheffield, the wood bridge was replaced in 1815 with an Iron one, again replaced by the Borough Bridge in 1851 when Corporation Street was opened, this bridge was washed away when the Dale Dyke dam burst in 1864. Another Iron bridge was later built. A public bathing area was developed at the side of the Brown Cow, and now forms part of the beer garden at the Riverside.

A brewer by the name of John Smith made a claim for £15.10.9d for damages to the 'Old Brown Cow at Bridgehouses. The brewer had acquired the pub as Carters and Smith in November 1851. The Riverside was rebuilt as a residential hotel with staff being accomadated in the MASSIVE cellar system which comprised of 16 seperate cellars.

In 1890 SH ward & Co took over the pub were it remained in their estate until their demise in 1994, it then under went major changes both in ownership and name, renamed as Morriseys Riverside Pub. In 2002 the present management team took over and the Riverside Cafe bar was born.

http://travel.ciao.c...ffield__6348223

Please feel free to remove link if advertising is not allowed ( Not sure about copyright rules )

The link causes me no problems at all.

The Landlord there in about 1979/80 was the drunkest person (other than me) I've ever seen - once we were friends with the alsatian woofer we basically kept the place open for most of the evening by which time he had recovered enough to be able to lock up.

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Guest Falls2

Found this in an advert for The Riverside Cafe Bar at Bridgehouses as was.

A plotted History of the Riverside and the area -

The Riverside pub began life as the Brown Cow, and nestled in a small hamlet of cottages and shops then known as Bridgehouses, this was due to the wooden bridge which was built to allow access to and from Sheffield, the wood bridge was replaced in 1815 with an Iron one, again replaced by the Borough Bridge in 1851 when Corporation Street was opened, this bridge was washed away when the Dale Dyke dam burst in 1864. Another Iron bridge was later built. A public bathing area was developed at the side of the Brown Cow, and now forms part of the beer garden at the Riverside.

Hello,

As someone who grew up in the area, I was interested in the above description but it leaves me a little confused.

I'm OK with the description of the wooden bridge and recall the first iron bridge. was washed away in the 1864 flood but it doesn't say where these bridges were located. I think they were both located at or near the position of the iron bridge shown on the photo. (lets call it: Iron Bridge No.2)

The text however suggests the wooden and first iron bridge was on the same alignment as Corporation Street and the later Borough Bridge, built so we are told, in 1851. But the Borough Bridge we all remember was masonry and carried both traffic and pedestrian. It wasn't a pedestrians-only like the Iron Bridge.

I think the construction date for the Borough Bridge we all knew might be later than 1851 - more like 1871. (The Corporations Street swimming baths are supposed to have been built around 1870-71).

This would place it after the 1864 flood and the building of Iron Bridge No.2 Otherwise why would they built a masonry bridge(c 1851) and late a new Iron footbridge( No.2) virtually along side of each other.

Just a thought.

Regards

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Guest Gramps

Hi Falls,

In his book on Sheffield's bridges Roy Davey says Corporation street bridge (Borough bridge) was built in 1850. He implies that the original Iron bridge built in 1795 to replace the earlier wooden bridge was wide enough to take wheeled traffic but in one direction only. Perhaps when it came to replacing the Iron bridge after the 1864 flood it was decided that a footbridge would be sufficient as the Borough bridge could take wheeled traffic in both directions.

It would be nice to see some proof of the date of construction of Borough bridge.

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Guest Gramps

I couldn't find very much about Borough bridge. It seems that in 1846 the Town Trustees obtained a Street Improvement Act that enabled them amongst other things "to construct a commodious bridge over the Don, near the iron bridge"; yet in 1851 the Town Council were also promoting a Bill "to construct a bridge over the Don, near the Iron Bridge".

In any event the Local Register on March 9, 1853, records "First Stone of the borough bridge laid by Mr. Alderman Carr." There is, however, no record in the Local Register of the bridge being completed or any 'grand opening' etc, .but I would imagine it would have been completed by March of the following year.

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I couldn't find very much about Borough bridge. It seems that in 1846 the Town Trustees obtained a Street Improvement Act that enabled them amongst other things "to construct a commodious bridge over the Don, near the iron bridge"; yet in 1851 the Town Council were also promoting a Bill "to construct a bridge over the Don, near the Iron Bridge".

In any event the Local Register on March 9, 1853, records "First Stone of the borough bridge laid by Mr. Alderman Carr." There is, however, no record in the Local Register of the bridge being completed or any 'grand opening' etc, .but I would imagine it would have been completed by March of the following year.

So is this iron or earlier wooden bridge the origin of the names "Bridgehouses". There was a house called 'Bridgehouse" that went when the railway was built and was the home of the Clay family.

There is also a story that the Brightside Stocks were situated near the old iron bridge.

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Guest Falls2

So is this iron or earlier wooden bridge the origin of the names "Bridgehouses". There was a house called 'Bridgehouse" that went when the railway was built and was the home of the Clay family.

There is also a story that the Brightside Stocks were situated near the old iron bridge.

Hi,

See Eric Youle's 'Reminicenses of Old Sheffield: Chapter IX "The Old Haymarket - The Wicker - The Nursery Bridgehouses " . Reference is made there to the Brightside Bierlow Stocks being located at Bridgehouses.

Incidentally, while we are the subject of Bridgehouses/ Iron Bridge, perhaps we might be able to clear another topic that has been hanging around the Forum for a while.

On October 15, 2008, 'Richard B' placed a number of old Eric Youle maps on the 'Sheffield Maps' section under the topic:

Other Maps/Plans/Layouts. One of the maps showed the Bridghouses area and as it is undated, we were invited to establish its age. Ive been looking at it - on and off - for the last three months but can't date it with the limited resources at my disposal here.

My best-guess would be somewhere between 1845 (the platforms for old MSLR passenge station are shown) and 1878 (the survey still shows the Wesleyan Church at the corner of Rock Street and Chapel Street which was demolished that year, so we are told, for the enlargement of the Bridgehouses Goods Yard).

The Iron Bridge is shown but there is no sign of Corporations Street. The end of Harvest Lane is there but Mowbray Street hadn't been cut-through then.

Regards

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Myself and Andy1702 visited this site today and walked a little gingerly along the old bridge! It is a hidden gem of Sheffield's history and an interesting area with no trace of Bridgehouses station and Goods Yard (other than the listed portal of the 'Fiery Jack' tunnel). It would be good to know some more about it!

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The bridge is interesting because it seems to be built on top of a large iron pipe that crosses the river (possibly a sewer or water pipe?)

Sadly the structural condition of the bridge and especially the railings is not great. Restored and painted it would make a nice historical feature across the river.

May be of interest, popping in to see it next week. That large iron pipe is a gas main, there is also one running by the side of Hillfoot Bridge. W/E.

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All the way along the bridge there are these inscriptions from work done in 1921. What happened to the bridge to need this repair work? And why a Leeds firm? :-)

Probably should say that walking along the bridge is not sensible - i am both brave and daft in equal measure!

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Guest Coldstreamer

I remember crossing this footbridge with my mother if we walked into town. I think the end came out near Millsands. Bridgehouses goods yard was still open then. The land the goods yard occupied disappeared when they chopped Nursery Street up and created even more traffic chaos.

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A 'Friends of Bridgehouses footbridge' group has been set up which has already looked at the practical aspects of restoration. I am told by the organiser that an information board has already been installed.

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In 1864, my G-G-Great Grandmother was living in Burdekin Yard, Bridgehouses. As far as I can see, this was behind the Brown Cow, more or less where the baths were later built. She was washed out by the flood of course, the went to live on Oborne Street. Quite a lot of the family were in or around Bridgehouses at that time.

 

Dave

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I used to walk across this bridge every day in the late 40's and early 50's to go to town from my home near Rock Street.

At the Nursery street end was a Gentlemen's Urinal and at the other end of the bridge was a paved area and some buildings before coming out onto Bridge Street. Round the corner to the left were The Sheffield Forge and Rolling Mills.

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The Iron Bridge is shown on this section of map from 1849, also shown is a bridge called Union Bridge,any one know if this bridge still exists?

Iron_Bridge_1849.thumb.jpg.73e69f2505a2d

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This is part of a painting credited as 1840.  It shows the iron bridge, leading onto Kelham Island , so the Union Bridge will be the short span (arrowed) across to Cotton Mill Walk.


iron_bridge.thumb.png.869e262562474b79d6

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