River Tyne - Lemington Bridge (2001)

This bridge provides access into the Newburn Riverside Industrial Park.
Hadrian's Cycleway climbs the ramp on the right to cross this bridge
and onto Newburn Bridge following the Newburn Riverside Trail.

Lemington Gut, with the Lemington Glass Cone visible in background.

This seemingly insignificant ditch was once the main channel of the River Tyne
which formed a huge horseshoe bend at this point and was known as Blaydon Haugh.

This was where the Blaydon Races were held - the land then being on the south side of the river

To allow shipping further up river the Tyne Improvement Commission in the 1870's
dredged a new channel across the narrow neck of the meander.

This shortened the river by 3/4 of a mile, the upstream side was dammed, forming
the backwater now known as Lemington Gut over which the new Lemington Bridge spans.

© Doug-on-the-Tyne - 2004