Workers praised after world's oldest vehicle suspension bridge reopens following multi-million pound restoration

The Union Chain Bridge, connecting England and Scotland, reopened on Monday after being restored to its former glory.

Work to give the 202-year-old structure a new lease of life got under way in October 2020. Now, 30 months and £10.5million later, each and every component has been removed, checked and then restored or replaced before being lovingly pieced back together.

An event was held on Monday to reopen the Grade-I listed bridge to the public featuring bagpipes, Northumbrian pipes and a vintage car crossing the road. Speaking at the event, council leader Glen Sanderson spoke of his pride in the project.

He said: “It has absolutely been worth it. It’s been hard, but it has been necessary in order to take the bridge to bits, to sort it all out, to repair and replace and put it back together.

“What with Covid and bad weather, there has been some delays, but I would much rather do the job beautifully rather than rushed. This is one of the proudest moments of my life.

“We don’t get long in our lives to do something good, and often it is all about the short-term – but this will be here for generations. It was expensive, but the alternative was to remove it or let it decline, and that wasn’t an option – so we found the money.”

The project received a £3.14million funding boost from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in September 2019, with Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council both committing matched funding towards the amount needed.

The remaining cash was raised via fundraising activities progressed by the Friends of Union Chain Bridge group. The group raised a total of £300,000, with the final cheque of £50,000 handed over on Monday.

John Hamilton, the group’s honorary treasurer, said: “The Friends of the Union Chain Bridge are delighted that the bridge has now been reopened. Over the last three years it has been sorely missed by communities on both sides of the Tweed.

“Its restoration to a condition as close to the original as permitted by current regulations is a splendid achievement. It is a compliment to the original design, to the skill of today’s engineers and to the many sponsors who have contributed.

“The Friends must congratulate Northumberland County Council, who have led the project and who have underwritten it. We all regret the delays caused by the pandemic and the stress this has placed on everyone involved.

“But nothing can detract from the completion of the restoration and the fact that many of the original links remain part of the structure is a testament to the skill of the Welsh artisans who forged the original ironwork.”

Coun Colin Hardy, the local ward councillor, added: “It is just really great to see it open again. This is a much-used and much-loved bridge. It has been part of the community for over 200 years.

“It’s very important to people around here and I hope it will play a big part in the future of Horncliffe, with the pub coming back on stream.”