Visiting the Butterfly Bridge

One of the victims of the floods of September 2008 in Gateshead was the Butterfly Bridge, a historic crossing over the Derwent River. The bridge was built in the nineteenth century but is on a much older, medieval road which crossed right through my ward. Hundreds of years ago it was part of the main north/south route between Northumberland and Durham.

Last year the floods swept the bridge down river. It is lying on the river bank like a beached whale. There are plans however to replace it next year so my two ward colleagues Marilynn Ord and John McClurey, and Blaydon prospective MP Neil Bradbury visited the site on Saturday. I took the photos which required taking on an interesting challenge of clambering over the wrecked bridge to get the best shots!


This is me about to be up to my ankles in mud!


Here I am climbing onto the bridge - never let your colleagues look after your camera. They end up taking photos of me!


This was one of the photos I was after.


This was where the bridge used to be.


This is the bridge as it is now.


And another of how it is now.

And the following is a bit of video I shot last year of the River Derwent flooding at Blackhall Mill.