Ponteland architects chosen for £7.3m upgrade of 198-year-old bridge

Architecture practice Spence & Dower LLP has secured a place on a multi-million pound project to conserve the Union Chain Bridge near Berwick – the oldest operational suspension bridge in the world.

Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council are working with community group The Friends of the Union Chain Bridge and Museums & Archives Northumberland to deliver the £7.3m scheme.

In March, National Lottery development funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was approved, enabling the project to progress to the development phase.

Once this stage is complete, the project team will submit more detailed proposals to HLF for a full grant of £3.1m.

Ponteland-based Spence & Dower has previously handled the conservation of historic structures ranging from coke works to country houses, war memorials and watermills.

The firm is currently working on a project at Belsay Hall for English Heritage, alongside briefs for various listed farmsteads on sensitive archaeological sites across Northumberland.

Its previous historic bridge projects have included Prebends’ Bridge in Durham, built in 1778, and Chantry Bridge in Morpeth, which dates back to 1869.

The Union Chain Bridge was built in 1820 by Captain Samuel Brown.

It is estimated that the upgrade, due for completion in Spring 2021, will ensure a further 120 years of use.