Leamington Lift Bridge
Leamington Lift Bridge at Lochrin Basin on the Union Canal in Edinburgh. Built in 1896 and restored in 2002 as part or the Millennium Link restoration and reopening of the Forth & Clyde and the Union Canal, reconnecting Edinburgh and Glasgow via the new Falkirk Wheel. Leamington Lift Bridge reopened for pedestrians and cyclists in August 2002. Offical opening by Nicol Stephenon 22 March 2005 as part of the new Edinburgh Quay development.
NEWS: 22 March 2005 offical opening
22 March 2005 - Roy Brown © 2005
Above, Nicol Stephen, the transport minister at the helm of the first
barge
under the Leamington Lift Bridge breaking the ribbon.
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| All images © 2005 Roy Brown. Originals available in high resolution. Use normally free for non-commercial use. Permission required. | ||
New: See the Movable Bridges site for excellent information on the Leamington Lift Bridge and other movable bridges. Includes animation of the old and of the new mechanism and video of the bridge opening.
The 40 tonne Leamington Lift Bridge was constructed by Armstrong and Whitworth
of Tyneside in 1896 to allow steam traction engines to cross the canal. Originally
located further East at Fountainbridge on the entrance to Port Hopetoun the
principal Edinburgh terminus. Port Hopetoun was filled between the wars with
the bridge relocated to it's current location during the 1930s.
Restored by Lambertons Ltd of Coatbridge in 2002. Time to raise platform 2.75m is now 52 seconds. The bridge uses a system of pulleys and counterbalances. Originally raised by electric motor, now hydraulic. A length man is to be employed to operate the bridge. The original barriers have been reinstalled but not their cables so won't be used. The bridge will remain permanently closed to motor vehicles.
Restoration Photos
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Note
900k file. 300k
AVI*
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| All images © 2002 Roy Brown. *Thanks to Jim Swift for converting the animation into an AVI. | ||
Union Canal
Opened in May 1822, the 32 mile long Union Canal is the only contour canal in Scotland built at 240 feet (73m). Features Scotland's only canal tunnel, which is 2070' long (630 m). There are three impressive aqueducts: over the Almond; Avon (the longest and highest in Scotland); and the Water of Leith. At the Falkirk end a flight of 11 locks dropped the canal down 110' (33.5m) to connect with the Forth & Clyde Canal. The new Falkirk Wheel has replaced these locks. At the Edinburgh end the canal leading to Port Hamilton and Port Hopetoun basins have been filled in and developed. Lochrin Basin is now the end of the canal. Edinburgh Quay is the new development at Lochrin Basin.
Canal dimensions: Surface 37' (11m) wide, 22' (7m) wide at base. 5' (1.5m) deep.
Armstrong and Whitworth
The builders of the Leamington Lift Bridge were originally an engineering and then ordnance manufacturer. Armstrong and Whitworth became famous as aeronautical engineers, building airships and aeroplanes including the FK3 and FK8 reconnaissance bombers for the first World War; the Whitley in the Second World War; and the Sea Hawk - the RAF's second jet to enter service - which was used in the Suez campaign of 1956.
The the car business merged with Siddeley-Deasy to become part of Armstrong-Siddeley of the Hawker Siddeley group which merged with Bristol in 1960 when car production ceased. The engineering part of the company was taken over by Vickers, while the Armstrong and Whitworth name disappeared in 1961 when it merged with the Gloster Aircraft Company to become the Whitworth Gloster Aircraft Company. The Vickers site has a good brief history (dead link?).
William Armstrong also built the 1876 Swing Bridge in Newcastle across the Tyne. Armstrong's home Cragside House, Gardens & Estate is a National Trust property. Cragside House - the first house in the world to be lit by electricity - was featured in TV program 'Abroad Again in Britain' presented byJonathan Meades.
Other Photos
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1940s
aerial view
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1876
Swing Bridge in Newcastle
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1876
Swing Bridge in Newcastle
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Port
Hopetoun Carving
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Famous Union
Canal Connections
William Burke & William Hare c1792 - executed 28 January 1829 & ? - 1859
Both moved from Ulster to worked as labourers on the building of the Union Canal. Became famous as body snatchers and later serial killers supplying bodies to the medical schools in Edinburgh.
George Meikle Kemp 1795 -
1844
A self-taught architect, he won a competition to design a monument for Sir Walter
Scott. In 1844 he tripped in fog and drowned in the Union Canal before The Scott
Monument was completed.
Scott Russell 1808 -1882
In 1834 Scott Russell a Scottish engineer discovered the solitary wave (soliton) on the Union Canal. A discovery not appreciated until the 1960s. Info at Heriot-Watt University: Scott Russell's soliton and BBC Local Heroes - Scott Russell Biography.
Lochrin Basin Development
Edinburgh Quay is being built at the end of Lochrin Basin by Miller Developments. See E Q One. A mixed development of flats, offices, retail and restaurants. The 'office tower' is ten stories high. Described as a 'land mark' for the end of the canal to replace the current view of the castle.
More info on Edinburgh Architecture site.
Details of another Lochrin Basin development by Allan Murray Architects for The EDI Group.
Scottish
Executive press release: Launch
of canalside development
14/11/2002
"Work began on the £60 million Edinburgh Quay waterside redevelopment
project today."
"Enterprise Minister Iain Gray said the project would transform the Lochrin
Basin at Fountainbridge and was an excellent example of the exciting opportunities
available for urban and economic regeneration through canal improvements."
"The first phase of the mixed-use scheme, incorporating restaurant, residential
and office accommodation, is scheduled for completion in March 2004."
For more info see Tollcross Community Council : Planning & Development.
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Panorama
- 23 June 2002
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October 2002
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Panorama
- 16 October 2002
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Maps
MultiMap
- StreetMap
-1855 Map
Image produced from the
Ordnance Survey Get-a-map
service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance
Survey
and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.
Links
Scottish Waterways - Official site for British Waterways in Scotland.
Millennium Link - Official site for the restoration of the Forth & Clyde and the Union Canal.
British Waterways is (was!) developing a public on-line catalogue of their archives, the Virtual @rchive Catalogue Project . The Scottish Canals Virtual Archive. Union Canal records. (dead links?)
The Millennium Link resource an excellent site with an information and picture resource of the restoration of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals in Scotland, including Leamington Lift Bridge info and photos.
Waterscape canal leisure guide site, Union Canal page.
The Falkirk Wheel or The Falkirk Wheel is at the other end of the Union Canal.
Canal Boating in the U.K. and Europe. Being an introduction for those unfamiliar with the pleasures of canal and waterway cruising, as well as a resource for experienced boaters.
Tim's Waterways Index - a comprehensive list of links.
Edinburgh Canal Society - Info on Kelvin Launch.
Re-Union "Re-Union is a community barge based on the Union Canal, Edinburgh. We help community organisations access the water of the canal for the benefit of people in canal linked communities."
MET Office for the Shipping Forecast and Inshore Waters Forecast.
Photos of Sluggan Bridge Restoration.
Tollcross Community Council local news.
Weather
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Last updated 21 Oct 2007.
© 2007 Roy Brown