The following is a list and brief history of the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

s in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, principally those over the

River Cam The River Cam () is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England. After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the River Great Ouse to the south of Ely, at Pope's Corner. The total distance from Cambridge to ...

of which there are 25, soon to be 26. The River Cam enters Cambridge from the south west of the city and heads north past many of the historic colleges of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

along the open area known as

The Backs The Backs is a picturesque area to the east of Queen's Road in the city of Cambridge, England, where several colleges of the University of Cambridge back on to the River Cam, their grounds covering both banks of the river. National Trust chairm ...

. After passing St John's College, it turns sharply and runs east, passing the

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

Jesus Green Jesus Green is a park in the north of central Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, north of Jesus College. Jesus Ditch runs along the southern edge Jesus Green. On the northern edge of Jesus Green is the River Cam, with Chesterton Road (the ...

and the boathouses alongside

Midsummer Common Midsummer Common is an area of common land in Cambridge, England. It lies northeast of the city centre on the south bank of the River Cam. The common borders the River Cam and houseboats are often moored on the common's bank. The boathouses ...

. Passing Chesterton, it turns north again and leaves the city, running a further before merging with the

Great Ouse The River Great Ouse () is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the Wa ...

at Pope's Corner to the south of

Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formal ...

Bridges over the River Cam (south to north)

Upper River (upstream of mill pond weir)

Trumpington Bridge (1790)

The most upstream bridge in Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency) lies along Grantchester Road between

Grantchester Grantchester is a village and civil parish on the River Cam or Granta in South Cambridgeshire, England. It lies about south of Cambridge. Name The village of Grantchester is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as ''Grantesete'' and ''Grauntset ...

and

Trumpington Trumpington is a village and parish to the south of Cambridge, England. The village is an electoral ward of the City of Cambridge and a ward of South Cambridgeshire District Council. The 2011 Census recorded the ward's population as 8,034. Th ...

. Also known as Brasel Bridge, this 1790 brick bridge replaced a wooden bridge at the site of a ford.

Sheep's Green Footbridge (1910)

Links

Coe Fen Coe Fen is a semi-rural meadowland area to the east of the River Cam in the south of the city of Cambridge, England.The Leys School The Leys School is a co-educational independent school in Cambridge, England. It is a day and boarding school for about 574 pupils between the ages of eleven and eighteen, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Histo ...

over a second small bridge to Lammas Land, near the area known as Hobson's Paradise. Also known as Sheep's Green bridge, it was closed in the second quarter of 2006 to replace the steps with ramps to make it easier for cyclists and prams to cross. The bridge decking was also replaced.

Fen Causeway Fen Causeway or the Fen Road is the modern name for a Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built fro ...
Bridge (1926)

The first road bridge that is reached as the river enters the city. The road was formally opened on 9 December 1926.Plaque on bridge

Crusoe Bridge Crusoe Bridge is a footbridge over the River Cam in Cambridge, England. It is the fourth bridge over the Cam in the city, and is the last footbridge on its upper upstream in Cambridge. It connects Coe Fen with Sheep's Green, the wooden deck is o ...
(1898–99)

A steel

footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

with timber deck and supported on four cast-iron columns, linking Sheep's Green and Coe Fen, and the final bridge on the 'Upper River' before it reaches the small weir at the

mill pond A mill pond (or millpond) is a body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Description Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam or weir (and mill stream) across a waterway. In many places, the com ...

Middle River (between mill pond weir and Jesus Green weir)

Darwin College Bridges

Two

wooden bridge A timber bridge or wooden bridge is a bridge that uses timber or wood as its principal structural material. One of the first forms of bridge, those of timber have been used since ancient times. History The most ancient form of timber bridge is ...

s within the college grounds connecting the main site with the college's two islands.

Silver Street Bridge Silver Street Bridge, officially known as Small Bridge is the sixth river Cam bridge overall and the second bridge on its middle stream in Cambridge. In 1959 the concrete bridge with the design by Sir Edwin Lutyens replaced an 1841 cast iron brid ...
(1958)

The site of bridges back to the 14th century, a cast iron bridge was built in 1843 but increasing heavy traffic led to a 1913 survey that determined the need for a new bridge. Repairs, however, allowed the bridge to last for a further 40 years. The present wide bridge, clad in

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...

was designed by Sir

Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...

in 1932 and built in 1958-9.

Mathematical Bridge The Mathematical Bridge is the popular name of a wooden footbridge in the southwest of central Cambridge, England. It bridges the River Cam about one hundred feet northwest of Silver Street Bridge and connects two parts of Queens' College. It ...
,
Queens' College Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...
(1902)

This is the third version of the design, first built in 1749. Cambridge University, Mathematical Bridge, Queen's College

King's College Bridge (1819)

The first bridge on the site was built in the 15th century, and has been rebuilt several times before the current incarnation, designed by William Wilkins and built by Francis Braidwood.

Clare College Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...
Bridge (1640)

The oldest of Cambridge's current bridges, this bridge in classical style was built in 1639–40 by Thomas Grumbold (d.1659) It is one of two bridges left standing by the Parliamentarian forces in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

(the other being the Great Bridge, a wooden bridge which has since been destroyed) when Cromwell used the stone from other bridges to refortify Cambridge Castle. Many different stories are told to explain the missing section of the globe second from the left on the south side of the bridge. One rumour is that the builder of the bridge received (what he considered to be) insufficient payment, and in his anger, removed a segment of the globe; another is that complete bridges were subject to a tax at the time it was built, and the missing segment made the bridge incomplete and hence untaxed. Cambridge University, Bridge, Clare College

Cambridge University, Bridge, Clare College

Garret Hostel Bridge (1960)

At least the eighth bridge on this site on Garret Hostel Lane between the colleges of

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

and Trinity Hall. The current design is by Timothy Guy Morgan, who at the time was an undergraduate student at Jesus College, after an open competition. Morgan died in 1960, before the bridge was completed. It was one of the first

post-tensioned concrete Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially "prestressed" ( compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-tensioned concreted i ...

bridges in the country. Known to students locally as “orgasm bridge”.

Trinity College Bridge (1764)

James Essex James Essex (1722–1784) was an English builder and architect who mostly worked in Cambridge, where he was born. He designed portions of many colleges of the University of Cambridge, and carried out major restorations of the cathedrals at Ely and ...

, it replaced a stone bridge built in 1651, which in turn replaced a stone bridge pulled down in 1643 by Cromwellian soldiers as a defence during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. It is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

building.

Cambridge University, Bridge, Trinity College

Kitchen Bridge, St John's College (1709–11)

Also known as St John's Old Bridge. The second oldest of Cambridge's remaining bridges, built by Robert Grumbold (1639–1720) according to designs by Sir

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...

. The bridge was crafted from a single block of limestone, carved to give the appearance of masonry.

Bridge of Sighs, St John's College (1831)

Also known as New Court Bridge, it is probably Cambridge's best-known bridge, designed by

Henry Hutchinson Henry Hutchinson (16 October 1800 – 22 November 1831) was an English architect who partnered with Thomas Rickman in December 1821 to form the Rickman and Hutchinson architecture practice, in which he stayed until his death in 1831. Hutchinson ...

and based on a similarly named bridge in Venice, although the only real similarity between them is that they are both covered bridges over

waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary b ...

s.. A bridge in Oxford, also nicknamed "The Bridge of Sighs" but more reminiscent of the

Rialto Bridge The Rialto Bridge ( it, Ponte di Rialto; vec, Ponte de Rialto) is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Connecting the ' (districts) of San Marco and San Polo, it has been rebuilt several times since its fir ...

, links two sites of

Hertford College Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...

, but it bridges

New College Lane New College Lane is a historic street in central Oxford, England, named after New College, one of the older Oxford colleges, adjacent to the north. In 2010, New College Lane was named Britain's fourth most picturesque street, as part of G ...

rather than a river or canal.

Magdalene Bridge Magdalene Street is a street in the north of central Cambridge, England. It runs between Castle Street, by Castle Hill, at the junction with Northampton Street and Chesterton Lane, then Chesterton Road (the A1303), to the northwest and ...
(1823)

Named after

Magdalene College Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

, which stands nearby. It is very close to the location of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

ford (around 50 AD), and the location of the first Roman bridge in Cambridge (probably re-built by

Offa Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...

in the 8th century). The latest bridge was designed by Arthur Browne in

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style and was rebuilt in the same style in 1982.

Lower River (downstream of Jesus Green weir)

Jesus Lock footbridge (1892)

An iron bridge over the weir that divides the 'Middle River' from the 'Lower River', where punting gives way to

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to: Bridges ;Australia * Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane * Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania * Victoria Bridge, M ...
(1890)

Allowed the residents of Chesterton easy access to the city for the first time. The foundation stone was laid by Frederic Wace, mayor of Cambridge, on 4 November 1889 and the bridge was officially opened by Wace on 11 December 1890. The bridge was rebuilt for strengthening in 1992.

Fort St George footbridge, Midsummer Common (1927)

Named after the

Fort St George Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress in the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English (later British) fortress in India. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further s ...

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

near its southern end, the site was previously home to a ferry that was "probably the busiest of all the river crossings, running from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m". The bridge was built in 1927, and is now open for use by cyclists.

Cutter Ferry Bridge (2005)

A pedestrian and cycle bridge that links Cutter Ferry Lane with Midsummer Common. The original footbridge was closed in 2003 after over 75 years of service, and removed during December 2004. The replacement, over which cyclists may legally cycle, was opened on 20 May 2005. Also known by Cambridge residents as Pye's Bridge because of the one-time nearby Pye electronics factory, and by student rowers as Emma Bridge because of its proximity to Emmanuel College Boathouse.

Elizabeth Way Bridge (1971)

A plain four-lane concrete road bridge, opened by

Lord Butler Frederick Edward Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell, (born 3 January 1938) is a retired British civil servant, now sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. Early life and family Butler was born in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, on ...

in his capacity as High Steward of Cambridge on 13 July 1971, this is Cambridge's most recent road bridge. The opening caused a few minutes of embarrassment when Lord Butler's golden scissors failed to cut the ribbon across the road. The bridge forms part of Elizabeth Way ( A1134).

Equiano Bridge (formerly Riverside Bridge) (2008)

This foot and cycle bridge connects Chesterton and Riverside near the

Museum of Technology The Museum of Technology the History of Gadgets and Gizmos (formerly The Museum of Technology, The Great War and WWII) is a technology museum in Throckenholt, a village in Lincolnshire, England, UK. The museum was originally started in the Old To ...

. Construction work began in April 2007, and the bridge opened to the public on 5 June 2008. It cost £3.1 million and was partially funded by

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

to provide increased access to its Newmarket Road store. In 2022 it was renamed to honour writer and abolitionist

Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist from, according to his memoir, the Eboe (Igbo) region of the Kingdom of Benin (today southern Nigeria). Enslaved as ...

who had links to the Cambridge area.

Green Dragon bridge, Stourbridge Common (1935)

Named after the Green Dragon pub opposite its northern end, the iron-arch bridge was built in 1935, causing the closure of the nearby Horse Grind and Pike & Eel ferries. Also known to student rowers as 'Chesterton Footbridge' as it crosses over what they know as 'Chesterton Corner'.

Railway Bridge

Crosses the river through east Chesterton, south of the A14 bridge. It is the third railway bridge to be built on this site, replacing a plain

plate girder bridge A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or more plate girders. Overview In a plate girder bridge, the plate girders are typically I-beams made up from separate structural steel plates (rather than rolled as a single cross-section), w ...

which stood on the site between 1870 and 1930, which itself replaced a wooden bridge built in 1846.

Abbey-Chesterton Bridge (2021)

cmglee_Cambridge_Chisholm_Trail_bridge_south

The Abbey-Chesterton Bridge was installed on 8 November 2020 at Ditton Meadows, immediately downstream (east) of the railway girder bridge. This bridge carries the

Chisholm Trail The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and rancher, and his friend Jesse Chisholm, a Cheroke ...

over the River Cam. Estimated cost is £4.5 million. The Abbey-Chesterton Bridge was opened by Jim Chisholm at 13:30 on 23 December 2021.

A14 Bridge

Known (incorrectly) to rowers and others as the "Motorway Bridge". Built as part of the 'Cambridge northern bypass', which opened in 1977, the bridge crosses the river just south of Baits Bite Lock. This bridge is also sometimes referred to as “Bovis Bridge”.

Footbridge over the weir, Baits Bite Lock

An elevated footbridge crosses Baits Bite Lock in

Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...

to a narrow islet. A concrete-arch footbridge then crosses the weir to the east bank near

Horningsea Horningsea is a small village north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England. The parish covers an area of . It lies on the east bank of the River Cam, and on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe. The nearest railway station is Waterbeach, away ...

Other bridges

* The Tony Carter bridge is a covered cycle bridge over the railway just north of

Cambridge railway station Cambridge railway station is the principal station serving the city of Cambridge in the east of England. It stands at the end of Station Road, south-east of the city centre. It is the northern terminus of the West Anglia Main Line, down th ...

opened in 1989. It was listed at the time in the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as the world's longest covered cycle bridge. It is named after a

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

councillor of the era. * The Jane Coston bridge was opened over the A14 in 2004, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to cross from Cowley Road to

. It has a central span of .. Jane Coston is a councillor who campaigned for 8 years for the bridge to be built. * Coldham's Lane bridge is a cycle and pedestrian bridge over the railway on the south side of Coldham's Lane. It is not a particularly effective route for cyclists, especially those travelling south east. * The Newmarket Road Bridge, the Mill Road Bridge near Cambridge Station, the

Hills Road Hills Road is an arterial road (part of the A1307) in southeast Cambridge, England. It runs between Regent Street at the junction with Lensfield Road and Gonville Place (the A603) to the northwest and a roundabout by the Cambridge Biomedi ...

Bridge and the Long Road Bridge are other bridges over the railway. * Cambridgeshire Guided Busway: A14 bridge, Hills Road Bridge, Long Road Bridge, Shelford Road Bridge and Hauxton Road Bridge on former railway lines, plus a new Addenbrooke's Bridge leading over the railway line to the hospital.

Mapping

* Footbridge, Coe Fen, * Fen Causeway Bridge, * Crusoe Bridge, * Darwin College Bridges, * Silver Street Bridge, * Mathematical Bridge, * King's College Bridge, * Clare College Bridge, * Garret Hostel Bridge, * Trinity College Bridge, * Kitchen Bridge, * Bridge of Sighs, * Magdalene Bridge, * Jesus Lock footbridge, * Victoria Avenue Bridge, * Footbridge, Midsummer Common, * Cutter Ferry Bridge, * Elizabeth Way Bridge, * Equiano Bridge, * Footbridge, Stourbridge Common, * Railway Bridge, * Abbey-Chesterton Bridge, * A14 Bridge, * Footbridge over the weir, Baits Bite Lock, * Tony Carter bridge, * Jane Coston bridge, * Coldham's Lane bridge, * Newmarket Road Bridge, * Mill Road Bridge, * Hills Road Bridge, * Long Road Bridge,

References

{{Bridges over the River Cam *

Bridges A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whic ...

Bridges in Cambridge The following is a list and brief history of the bridges in Cambridge, England, principally those over the River Cam of which there are 25, soon to be 26. The River Cam enters Cambridge from the south west of the city and heads north past many ...