Cross Keys Bridge (Formerly Including Hydraulic Engine House)

Cross Keys Bridge, formerly including the Hydraulic Engine House, is a road and rail hydraulic swing bridge that opened in 1897. It was erected by A. Handyside & Co. Ltd. and is constructed of steel, iron, and wood. The swing span features three parallel bowstring braced girders supported on a pivot pier, while the east end has two fixed spans made of steel plate girders. The bridge is topped with a wooden podium that supports a hexagonal wood and glazed viewing chamber. A plaque on the northwest side notes, "Made and erected by A. Handyside & Co. Ltd. Derby and London 1897. Hydraulic machinery by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. Ltd. Steel for girders made by the Staffordshire Steel Co., Bilston." This bridge replaces an earlier timber bridge designed by John Rennie in 1830/1, which had cast iron opening spans, and the second bridge designed by George Stephenson in 1850, which was used for rail traffic when the line from Spalding to Sutton Bridge was extended to King's Lynn in 1866. The bridge is also connected underground to The Engine House, Sutton Bridge.