Building record 15524 - Winnington Turn Bridge

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1391406 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Grade II Listed swing bridge and control cabin on Weaver Navigation, 1908/9 with C20 additions, cast steel. Two storey brick control cabin with ground floor and lower ground floor, slate roof.

Cast steel bridge painted black and white with girders underneath, one pivot span and single lane vehicle access. Pivot sits on south (Northwich) bank. Later C20 pedestrian walkway fixed to western bridge elevation and north cabin elevation. Reverse 'l' shaped plan brick control cabin sits west of bridge on south bank. Assymetrical saltbox-style slate roof, ridge tiles, and spear finial atop north gable. Small pane casement windows form continuous band to north elevation continuing around north east and north west corners. Small round arched window with brick voussoirs beneath eaves line on west elevation. South elevation has small round arched window flanked by 2 doorways all with brick voussoirs at heads. Small brick courtyard adjacent to south elevation. East doorway with stone steps, west doorway with one stone step and one later C20 concrete replacement. Steps lead down by west elevation to pivot machinery and canal, all but top 3 later C20 replacement.

HISTORY: Constructed in 1908/9 the electrically operated swing bridge replaces an earlier version constructed in 1901, which proved inadequate both in terms of carrying capacity and design. Along with the neighbouring Town Bridge (1899) and Hayhurst Bridge (1899) in Northwich, Winnington is one of the earliest swing bridges in Britain to have electric power. The bridge enabled greater carrying capacity of road loads and an increase in the navigable waterway available thus enabling trade expansion and business growth in the area's chemical industry. The swing bridge also controlled the water level at Northwich.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE Winnington Turn Bridge is a single pivot span steel bridge with associated brick control cabin on the Weaver Navigation. The bridge has special architectural interest as an example of an early electrically operated swing bridge. In addition, it is historically significant in the development of the Weaver Navigation and the growth of the pottery and chemical industries of Winnington and Northwich. The bridge and cabin can also be said to form part of a group with Town Bridge and Hayhurst Bridge further along the navigation in Northwich.

<2> Pegasus Group Ltd, 2021, Winnington Works, Northwich. Technical Appendix D: Cultural Heritage, R4561, p.48-50 (Client Report). SCH9155.

Winnington Turn Bridge carries vehicular traffic along Winnington Lane over the River Weaver. It was built during 1908-1909 at a cost of £4000 and first used on 18th July 1909. It replaced an earlier swing bridge which rapidly deteriorated due to an increase in road traffic. The appearance of the bridge today is largely the same as in 1909 although a pedestrian footway has been added to the south side.

The bridge operates on a ball bearing pivot driven by an electric motor allowing the bridge to swing open for navigation along the River Weaver and to and from the Anderton Boat Lift (CHER 666/1). At a time when the river was used by sail boats (Weaver Flats) for shipping goods the need for a swing bridge was paramount.

The bridge was designed by Mr J.A. Saner, M.Inst.C.E, and, with exception of the electric motor was built in the Weaver Navigation repair yard by the engineer’s staff. At the time of its design and construction, great interest was attached to the ball-bearing pivot on account of its dimensions, having forty ball bearings each having a diameter of two and half inches, set in two rings. The use of electric power was also innovative at the time, and it is understood to be one of the earlier electric driven swing bridges in the country.