Swing Bridge At Former Victoria Dock

The swing bridge at the former Victoria Dock in Kingston upon Hull is a road bridge that was originally a railway swing bridge, built in 1849. It was constructed by Beecroft, Butler & Co. from Kirkstall Forge in Leeds, along with the Haigh Foundry Co. of Wigan. The bridge is made of cast iron and features a wrought-iron handrail and ashlar abutments. It is designed as a two-leaf cantilever swing bridge that accommodates both road and railway tracks. When closed, the two strutted sections form a segmental arch. The bridge has roller bearings at the pivot ends, and the cast-iron drums house the gearing and hand cranks that operate the bridge by engaging with a toothed sector. Although Victoria Dock and the outer basin have since been filled in, the half-tide basin once allowed ships to enter and leave the dock at various states of the tide.