Tweed Bridge

About Tweed Bridge

Like the Cuddy Bridge, there has been a stone bridge over the River Tweed at this point since the 15th century, which probably replaced an earlier wooden structure. Between the destruction of the medieval bridge at Roxburgh in the 16th century and the construction in 1754 of a bridge at Kelso, some 67km (42.5 miles) downstream, there were no bridges across the Tweed between here and Berwick.
In November 1628, it was decided that at port should be built on the bridge to guard the western entrance to the town. The bridge was lengthened by three arches in 1799, widened by 4m (13 feet) in 1834 and by a further 5.75m (19 feet) in 1900 to its present width of some 12.25m (40 feet) - much wider than its original 2.5m (8 feet) width. The dolphin lamps on the bridge are contemporary with the 1900 widening. Today. the bridge still forms an essential transport artery to the town.
From the town side of the bridge, turn left down Port Brae and walk under the bridge. From beneath the bridge it is quite easy to see the evidence of the various widenings, the earliest arches perhaps being from the late 1460s.