Plans to light up Berwick bridge to honour Robert Stephenson

Nov 28 2009 The Journal

PLANS to light up a historic rail bridge to commemorate the 150th anniversary of its creator’s death look set to be given the green light.

A working group set up by Berwick History Society has this year organised a series of events to mark the anniversary of the death in 1859 of Robert Stephenson, the great railway engineer and architect and son of pioneer George Stephenson.

Robert Stephenson helped shape the Northumberland town’s landscape with his greatest work considered by many to be the designing of the iconic 28-arch Royal Border Bridge carrying the main East Coast rail line across the Tweed from Tweedmouth to Berwick. It was opened in August 1850 by Queen Victoria.

As part of the town’s celebrations, plans were drawn up by the Stephenson 150 working group and a Glasgow-based architects firm to permanently illuminate the bridge’s arches,

The lights could change colour or “chase” trains across the bridge.

The working group hopes to have the bridge illuminated by March next year, in time for the 160th anniversary of its opening.

A feasibility study into the proposals was carried out, as were lighting trials, and the estimated cost of the scheme has been put at £150,000.

Funding has been pledged from The Railway Heritage Trust, which has agreed £60,000, and One North East through the Northumberland Strategic Partnership.