Author Topic: Bridges for CrinklyLion (and everyone else!) (Read 415823 times)

clarion · « **Reply #675 on:** 06 June, 2012, 09:50:01 am »

Aylesford: I was on the North bank in the village, near the tidal flood gate (which answered our question about whether the river was tidal that far up, given that it seemed to be flowing inland at the time

). I hadn't been aware of the old bridge, and Butterfly spotted it at the last minute, bit was behind me. So we crossed the new bridge, but, on principle, went and crossed and recrossed the old bridge. We also made a point of going over it on the way home.

Jade's Crossing: It is an impressive achievement, and reminder of the dangers of surrendering our public spaces to motor vehicles, especially because it is prominently labelled as Jade's Crossing, and has a silhouette of a child doing ballet (presumably from a photo of Jade herself) on it. Such deaths occur in many places, but rarely does anything so positive result.

@nicknack: I confess I'm not sure where the motorway bridge was. We passed several on our way. It's not Sandling, I know that. Nor is it the M25, which we went over. Last night, fatigued brains could only presume it was at Ightham.

nicknack · « **Reply #676 on:** 06 June, 2012, 10:33:27 am »

Quote from: clarion on 06 June, 2012, 09:50:01 am

@nicknack: I confess I'm not sure where the motorway bridge was. We passed several on our way. It's not Sandling, I know that. Nor is it the M25, which we went over. Last night, fatigued brains could only presume it was at Ightham.

It's the A2 crossing at Boughton Under Blean.

clarion · « **Reply #677 on:** 06 June, 2012, 10:56:22 am »

Ah! That makes sense. Butterfly thought it might be the A2, but I had been sure it was one of the motorways. Combination of tiredness, shockingly poor memory and hundreds of km of unfamiliar roads

I really enjoyed the riding. Most of it was very quiet. I really wouldn't have minded a weekend with less rain, but I shan't grumble.

Wombat · « **Reply #678 on:** 07 June, 2012, 07:19:01 pm »

Bulk effort here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105057261252117736428/NZBridges?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCN_Y-Ie2zM3_gQE&feat=directlink

A summary of the bridges we encountered in NZ, some dead boring, some quite interesting. the joint road/rail ones a bit worrying...

I'm a bit odd about bridges, I like bouncy ones, and a friend was very forcefully telling me you could make the Connel Ferry bridge in Scotland bounce by persistent jumping up and down. He was lying to me, and the policemen on duty there (as the traffic lights had failed) were very puzzled indeed by my antics. Still, they stopped the traffic so I could take pictures from the middle of the road, so they obviously thought that I was no worse than harmlessly mad. Said friend is now an ex-friend... because he died.

Wombat · « **Reply #679 on:** 08 June, 2012, 12:19:50 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 21 June, 2011, 07:04:08 pm

Taramakau Bridge:

just realised that this one is also in the lot I posted yesterday! so not only have I been to NZ, but I've crossed the same bridge as the Pingus!

It is good to see all these and think "I've seen that one", and then think that bridge aficionados are evidently not that rare, at least on YACF.

billplumtree · « **Reply #680 on:** 10 June, 2012, 03:40:09 pm »

A few from my just-ended tour of N Scotland, Harris and Lewis mostly.

Kessock Bridge, Inverness

Bridge on the MV Isle of Lewis (did you see what I did there?)

Somewhere near Aird a' Mhulaidh / Ardvourlie, main road between Stornoway and Tarbert. Old bridge from v new bridge

Traigh Bhaltos / Valtos beach

Acha Mor. Typical Lewisian emptiness

Amhainn Suidhe Castle

Poolewe

Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh railway bridge at Achnasheen

Traigh Uige / Uig Sands, West Lewis

First installments of the standard issue YACF Scottish heatwave tour trip report will be along shortly.

Pingu · « **Reply #681 on:** 10 June, 2012, 08:51:21 pm »

Rail bridge over the North Esk:

IMG_0413 by The Pingus, on Flickr

From the other side:

IMG_0416 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Pingu · « **Reply #682 on:** 10 June, 2012, 08:52:33 pm »

Road bridge over the North Esk:

IMG_0415 by The Pingus, on Flickr

LindaG · « **Reply #683 on:** 10 June, 2012, 09:18:33 pm »

Bridge at Burnstones. Between Alston and Brampton. It's a railway viaduct, but you don't realise it until you've already ridden underneath.

Wombat · « **Reply #684 on:** 11 June, 2012, 02:05:08 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 10 June, 2012, 08:52:33 pm

Road bridge over the North Esk:

IMG_0415 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Where exactly is this one, Monsieur Pingu? Its lovely, and it looks vaguely familiar.

eck · « **Reply #685 on:** 11 June, 2012, 02:30:30 pm »

Wombat, pending Pingu's authoritative reply, I think it's on the A92 just north of Montrose. Just beyond the bridge is a sign for Steptoe's Yard.

David Martin · « **Reply #686 on:** 11 June, 2012, 02:33:33 pm »

Is that the narrow one where there is a right angle turn to get on and off?

https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=56.749582,-2.451496&spn=0.004859,0.009645&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=56.749695,-2.45139&panoid=hneQcnrQa-aezABcidEAIA&cbp=12,353.98,,0,13.52

eck · « **Reply #687 on:** 11 June, 2012, 02:39:17 pm »

That's the one I think it is.

Feanor · « **Reply #688 on:** 11 June, 2012, 02:40:30 pm »

It's the Marykirk bridge, between Marykirk and North Craigo.

This one:
https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=56.775938,-2.51485&spn=0.000012,0.009645&t=m&layer=c&cbll=56.776027,-2.514723&panoid=aE-vXG5GzTYIjKUOP7n7Pg&cbp=12,212.13,,0,24.03&hnear=Peterculter,+Aberdeen+City,+United+Kingdom&z=17

The one Eck mentions has ironwork along the parapets.

<ETA> To be fair, I need to mention that I do cycle across it several times a week, and you notice details when on the bike that you miss in the car. The circle motifs on the side are particularly recognisable, and can be seen on the approach.

There are not many other bridges across the N. Esk which could be in contention. The A92 bridge is very much taller, with different detailing and the old railway viaduct would likely be visible, depending on direction. The 'best' bridge is the one at Gannochy between Edzell and Fettercairn, where it spans the bottom of the Gorge Section, which is where paddlers get out having run the rapids and drops of the main Gorge Section. It's a grade 4 paddle, which is an interesting paddle at the best of times, and can be a serious undertaking depending on river level.