Bridge of Sighs is a Grade II listed building in the Cheshire West and Chester local planning authority area, England. First listed on 28 July 1955. Footbridge.

Bridge of Sighs

WRENN ID
weathered-gallery-hyssop
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Constituency
Chester North and Neston MP: Samantha Dixon (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
28 July 1955
Type
Footbridge
Address
Bridge of Sighs, Upper Northgate Street, CH1 4EE
OS grid reference
SJ 403 666
Coordinates
53.19388, -2.89373
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Bridge of Sighs is a footbridge that spans the ravine of Chester Canal. It was likely built in the late 18th century and is constructed from coursed red sandstone. The bridge features shallow flush voussoirs that form a slender segmental arch, along with plinths along the footway. The original railings have been removed, and access to the bridge is now blocked from both banks. Historically, this footbridge was used to transport prisoners from the city gaol, located at No. 1 Upper Northgate Street, to the former Chapel of St John in the south wing of the Bluecoat School.

Local climate

Bridge of Sighs receives an average of 890 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 66% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 78% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 31 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 62% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • No EPC on record for this property
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  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Northgate House Grade II 7 m
  2. Bluecoat School and Former Chapel of St John Baptist Grade II* 20 m
  3. Northgate Bridge Grade II 22 m
  4. The Northgate Grade I 25 m
  5. Numbers 2 and 4 and Railings to Areas Grade II 37 m
  6. Almshouses of Hospital of St John Baptist Grade II 47 m
  7. Numbers 134, 136 and 138 Street Grade II 47 m
  8. 1 and 2, City Walls Grade II 51 m
  9. Number 73 Street Former Fire Station Grade II 53 m
  10. 3, Upper Northgate Street Grade II 53 m