Movable Bridges in the British Isles
If it's a swing bridge, lift bridge, drawbridge, bascule bridge, sliding bridge, retractable bridge, curling bridge, rolling bridge, telescopic bridge, transporter bridge, counterweight bridge, boat lift or any other sort of movable bridge and is in the British Isles it belongs on this website, whether it is on a canal or river, in a dock or marina, or over the moat of a castle or fort. In time we intend to create a comprehensive historical and photographic record of movable bridges in the British Isles, with the help of supporters and contributors and also biographies of the individuals, organisations and companies involved in the design and construction of each bridge.
As of March 2026 we now have 2,902 sites listed around the British Isles where there is or has in the past been a movable bridge. So far we have photographs on the website of 1,763 of those sites – so we still have 1,154 to go! At the age of 80 and now living in South Devon I – Stewart that is - have far less opportunity to travel around the British Isles to research and photograph sites and we are increasingly reliant on visitors to the website to add to the information and to provide photographs. All help is very much appreciated and always acknowledged. We have tried to be accurate in describing each bridge, but we hope you have a sharp eye for detail to spot any errors that we have made or to point up any gaps in our information. For a full explanation of the origins and aims of the site please read the mission statement.
In 2025 we have added two new features to the website – a search option for bridges that were planned but never built and for new bridges still in the planning stage. We have also added an option to view a timeline of people who were pioneers in the development of the transport network of our islands – including docks and harbours, river navigations, canals, roads and railways. I must thank John Hazell for his work in adding these features to the website.
Since the summer of 2025 I have working hard in my spare time to continue to researching and writing the background of people and companies involved in design, manufacture and construction of bridges recorded on the website – by November I have written over 200 such reports.
The early canal pioneers faced all manner of challenges. It began of course with the problems of constructing an artificial waterway across Britains undulating landscape but that was sometimes dwarfed by the challenge of persuading landowners to allow these waterways to cross their land for the benefit of distant industrialists. Later the canal operators faced the challenge of competition from the new-fangled railways and in the 20th century enthusiasts faced the challenge of keeping redundant waterways open of finding ways to re-open ones already abandoned. I have found a fascinating article from the Lancashire Telegraph outlining these issues. To read the article please scroll down in the ‘Waterways Histories’ list to ‘The Challenge’
As ever we are grateful for any information or photographs that you can share or comments about the site- please e-mail the address in the contacts page.