Archive footage of Town Bridge showcases Peterborough’s faded yet ever-dependable 93-year-old river crossing
City’s key crossing point still going strong since it opened in the 1930s - although it’s clearly looking its age
At a full council meeting on July 29, the condition of Town Bridge was described as ‘disgraceful’ by Peterborough City Councillor, Ed Murphy.
The Green party councillor went on to voice calls to repair rendering, and clean and repaint the bridge.
In response, Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Angus Ellis, described the bridge as “structurally sound,” before adding, “although I recognise that it does need improvements to the render and paintwork from an aesthetic perspective.”
There is no doubt that the grand old landmark is certainly looking more than a little jaded in places.
However, it’s worth bearing in mind that Town Bridge is now well over 90-years-old.
The extraordinary footage shown above reminds us that initial construction of Town Bridge commenced close to a hundred years ago.
When the (then) new bridge was first opened to traffic on October 23, 1933, it initially only accommodated one-way traffic. This is because construction of the other half of the bridge was still ongoing.
The blue plaque which now rests upon the corner of Town Bridge confirms the bridge opening date as 1934 (which also coincided with the widening of Bridge Street to the north).
While the crossing has served the city well since then, even its most ardent admirers would acknowledge it is well overdue a nip-and-tuck.
Thankfully, restoring the bridge to its former glory is on the council’s list of things-to-do.
“I expect the works to be programmed in to take place sometime in the next financial year,” Cllr Ellis said.