Yarmouth suspension bridge

Yarmouth suspension bridge spanned the River Bure at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk from 1829 until its collapse in 1845. The bridge was widened in 1832, which had not been anticipated by the original design. On 2 May 1845, the bridge collapsed under load from a crowd who had gathered to watch a circus stunt on the river. Some 79 people, mainly children, were killed. An investigation found fault with the design and quality of the bridge. A modern-day memorial marks the site of the disaster.

Bridge

An Act of Parliament was passed in 1827 for the construction of a bridge over the River Bure at Great Yarmouth. The Cory family paid for the bridge to replace a ferry and provide easier access from the town to marshland, the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, and a bowling green owned by the family. A toll on those crossing would recoup the investment. The architect for the bridge was Joseph John Scoles of London. He designed a suspension bridge with two towers and a clear span of 63 feet (19 m). The span was later increased on-site to 86 feet (26 m) and the suspension chains increased in length accordingly, but it is not thought that Scoles was consulted on this matter (it would be considered usual to increase the height of the towers to match the lengthened chains).

The bridge was supported by a suspension chain at both edges of the deck, each chain being formed from two sets of 7⁄8 inch (22 mm) thick eyebars which had been made by a local blacksmith. The suspension chain was tied back to the bank and ran over the tops of two sets of pyramidal cast iron towers, on piled foundations, some 92 feet (28 m) apart. The chain sagged by 9 feet (2.7 m) between the towers. The magnitude of this sag was unaltered from the original design, despite the length of bridge being increased.