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Lesser Bridges
 King
George VI Bridge
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by the
Lord Provost Edward
W. Watt on 15th September
1938. It was officially opened by
Queen Elizabeth in the presence of
the King on 10th March
1941.
Today the bridge carries the
Great Southern Road
(B9077) into Aberdeen from the south.
Sir Frank Mears,
1938-1941. 3-span depressed-arch bridge over River Dee with 2 round-arched flood
arches to E. Concrete with rough-faced granite facing; rough-faced arch-rings,
finely finished to margins; cutwaters rising to form refuges, each with coat of
arms on outer side; finely finished parapet, with plaque inside to South reading
"CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF ABERDEEN: KING GEORGE VI BRIDGE. THE FOUNDATION
STONE OF THIS BRIDGE WAS LAID BY LORD PROVOST EDWARD W. WATT ON 15TH SEPTEMBER
1938...."; 2 large refuges to East. Stepped down wing wall extending South West
with stone steps up to bridge, County of Aberdeen coat of arms flanking steps to
right.
The 'Old Bridge of Dee', formerly Granyford Bridge, was built between 1737 and
1740.
Old Bridge of Dee: four-arched stone bridge of whinstone and granite dating from
the early 18th century, crosses the River Dee near Bridge of Dee village. Until
1825 this carried the main route through Galloway, but was
replaced because of its narrowness and difficulty of access. A four-span bridge
with semicircular arches and triangular cutwaters. Circa 1737.
Previously known as Granny Ford bridge, this rubble-built four-archer is
the best-preserved 18th century bridge in the area. Carriageway still perilously
narrow, and escaped improvement thanks to the construction of the Threave
Bridge. This bridge carries an unclassified public road across the River Dee to
the SE of the village. The river here forms the boundary between the parishes of
Kelton (to the S) and Balmaghie (to the N)..
Threave Bridge:
three-arched granite bridge over the River Dee, built c. 1825 (probably
to a design of Telford) on the Dumfries-Portpatrick turnpike, to replace the
much older Bridge of Dee nearby. Bridge, built c. 1825. A fine, 3-span
masonry bridge, with segmental arches and rounded cutwaters. The masonry is
rusticated. Threave Bridge: three segmental arches of hammer-dressed granite
spanning the Dee: rounded cutwaters. It was built in 1825, and widened in
1986-7. Threave Bridge, widened in 1986 by Barr and Co, doubled
the width of the carriageway to the S. South elevation recladded with the
original granite masonry, although the original slightly curved profile has been
straightened. This bridge carries the A75 (T) public road across the River Dee
to the NE of Bridge of Dee village. The river here forms the boundary between
the parishes of Kelton (to the E) and Balmaghie (to the W).
Invercauld Bridge, tollhouse ('lodge') at N end of bridge, This
bridge, on the line of the military road, and closed September 1859. Built
1752 by engineer Major William Caulfield [Caulfeild]. A remarkable 6-arch,
hump-backed rubble bridge with segmental arches increasing in size to the
centre. By-passed by the Invercauld Bridge. Old Invercauld Bridge: a six-span,
hump-backed bridge of rubble, each span having a different size. It stands on a
rocky bend in the river, with reefs of rock across the flow; Caulfield [Caulfeild]
had to do some blasting to prepare the site. Looking at it from the
downstream [SE] side, the largest span is the third from the right bank, under
the highest point of the roadway, but the second is also a fair size. The fifth
and sixth, which are hidden by trees and normally on completely dry land, are
very small, the last measuring only 10ft [3.05m] across and 54ins [1.37m] high.
These two are effectively flood arches, whereas the first on the far bank is
not. This asymmetry in no way detracts from the bridge's appearance.
Rather, it enhances it, as do the unusual tall triangular cutwaters, which have
roofs of large flags. The parapet is high at the hump, a good 50ins
[1.27m] but it comes down to 23ins [0.58m] before the ends, which are splayed on
the N side. It is 17ins [0.43m] wide and topped with flat stones of different
sizes.
Old Invercauld Bridge, 1753, Major Caulfield [Caulfeild]. Military bridge to
link Blairgowrie with Corgarff and Inverness. Humpbacked, high segmented arch,
with lesser arches ay each side, and massive V-cutwaters. Superseded in 1859 by
New Invercauld Bridge
This bridge carries the former line of the A93 public road over the River Dee a
short distance to the SE of the present Invercauld Bridge For origin of
this road as a military road.
New Invercauld Bridge was commissioned by Prince Albert in 1859, when the old
bridge (NO19SE 8) was taken out of service. It has three main spans with oculi
in the spandrels. The name of its engineer is unknown, but William Smith, the
architect of Balmoral, may have been retained for this bridge also.
G Nelson 1990. Invercauld Bridge was built by J F Beattie at the expense
of Prince Albert, who closed the old South Desside Commutation Road between here
and Balmoral in order to protect his privacy.
The
Shakin' Briggie
The bridge now stands derelict on the north bank of the Dee,
straddling a stretch of scrubland after being marooned by a change in the
river’s course.
St.
Devenick's Bridge, which crosses the Dee from
Ardoe to Cults, was built in
1837
to link the now ruined Banchory Devenick Parish Church, on the south bank of the
Dee, with its parishoners, who lived on the north bank. It was officially named
St. Devenick's Bridge, but is popularly known by Aberdonians as the
Shakin'
Briggie,
or as
Morrison Bridge
after the local minister Rev Dr Morrison who funded the Bridge at
the time, the cast-iron structure got its nickname for its propensity to shake
every time a pedestrian crossed the
180ft span. .
The footbridge was damaged by floods in
1876
and
1920,
and was reconstructed in the
1920s.
However, due to erosion, the Dee shifted its course in the
1970s
and 1980s, sweeping away the southern approach spans, and in
1984
the decking was removed as a safety precaution.
The bridge is a Grade A listed structure and there are plans to restore it.
The total cost is likely to be three times the cost of a new
cycle and pedestrian bridge.
The Thieves' Bridge.
For a long period the place where criminals were executed was the Gallow Hill,
which was reached by Justice Street and Park Street. This street was the way to
various enclosed pieces of grazing ground, to which the townsmen sent their cows
in summer. It crossed the Powcreek Burn, in the line of Jasmine Terrace, by a
small bridge which criminals passed over on the way to execution. These being
mostly thieves the bridge was called the Thieves' Brig.
The Pack Bridge -
 An
old stone bridge with low parapets dating from
1693.
It once carried the main road into Aberdeen from the Brig o' Dee and has since
been reconstructed near to its original position.
(formerly
known as the
Ruthrieston Bridge) it was dismantled
and moved and rebuilt 30 metres eastwards to
Riverside Drive in
1923.
Ruthrieston Pack Bridge, is the only surviving example of a pack
horse bridge in this area of Scotland, was described by Fraser as an
"exceedingly well built bridge, of dressed granite" . It would appear that the
bridge was first mentioned in the Town Council Minutes in
1541
as the
"blind bryg",
however what became of this bridge is not known. The present bridge was built
with stones from the quarry in
Hill of Pitfoddels
over
150
years later. Despite being moved in
1923,
Ruthrieston Pack Bridge
survives in good condition. The parapet is a later addition, the original
parapets being long gone even in
1910.
The main loss is the weathering of the
two coats of arms.
That to the left is of Aberdeen City, with 3 towers supported by 2 leopards, and
the motto "Bon Accord"; while that to the right belongs to
Robert Cruickshank of Banchory (Devenick),
who was Provost at the time the bridge was built, and added his coat of arms
without the Council's permission. In
1698
when he ceased to be provost the Council demanded the stone be removed and that
Cruickshank should pay for a new stone, on which would be a Latin inscription.
When Cruickshank refused to pay his stone was turned round and the inscription
carved on the reverse. It was not until the bridge was repaired in
1877
that the stone was turned back to display the coat of arms. In
1796,
the Southbound road layout changed and traffic was
diverted from the bridge.
Latin inscription on
that stone reads "Senatus Abredonensis hunc pontem impensis ex aere ad pontem
deae spectante extruendum curavit anno 1693".
Grandholme Bridge over the River Don
C1900
The present Grandholm Bridge is a private bridge, constructed for
the
Crombie Mills
in the 1920s. Access to the bridge, other than for pedestrians and bicycles, is
now controlled by an electronically activated barrier, passes for which are made
available to residents of the housing development constructed on the site of the
mills in
2004.
CANAL BRIDGES.
The entrance to the Canal through Waterloo Quay was crossed by a substantial
wooden bridge, put on in 1834 when the sea loch connecting the Canal with the
harbour was formed. It was. removed when the railway was made. Of the original
bridges over the Canal No 1 connected Virginia Street with Canal Terrace. This
bridge was also removed when the railway was made. Canal Terrace, formerly a
pleasant residential street, was curtailed in length and reduced in width by the
railway and became an unimportant place.
Bridge No 2 gave access to the Links
from the Bowl Road, now Albion Street, When the Banner Mill was erected this
bridge was the chief approach to the mill for the workers; but it is not much
used now since the stoppage of cotton-spinning and the closing of the mill.
Bridge No 3
carried Constitution Street over the Canal, and now it carries it over the
railway. No 4 is in Park Street. Formerly the bridge was at the end of
Jasmine
Terrace, and was called the Thieves' Brig. When the Canal was made it drained to
some extent the low lying marshy ground on the east side of King Street; the
Powcreek Burn became a sewer; and the
Thieves' Brig was removed and erected over
the Canal.
Before the formation of King Street the Thieves' Brig was of more
importance that it was in the last century. Farmers from Buchan and Formartine
on their way to Aberdeen crossed the Don at the Brig of Balgownie and held on
the way to Old Aberdeen. At Seaton Place many turned eastward, and passing
Seaton Brickworks, went along the Links and crossed the Powcreek Burn by the
Thieves' Brig. Going along Park Street they entered the Castlegate by the
Justice Port, considered the chief entrance from the north before King Street
was made. Bridge No.5 was in King Street and, as the town for long did not
extend farther than the bridge, beyond it the name changed to North Road. The
Customs station, however, was a little farther out, at the end of Nelson Street.
Here butter and eggs and other country produce paid a tax before being allowed
to enter the town. This irksome toll was given up by the Town Council in 1879.
No.6 and No.7 were in Nelson Street and Mounthooly, where there are still
bridges occupying the same sites as the old. No.8 was in the line of Canal Road,
which after crossing the Canal was met at a right angle by Froghall Terrace. The
bridge was shifted a hundred yards to the north-west when the railway was made.
No.9 was farther west than the bridge on Bedford Road. Part of the wing wall of
the old bridge may be seen near Kittybrewster South Cabin. By the look of the
bridge at Erskine Street one would suppose, that it had been constructed with
the stones of No.9. Some of the Canal bridges served for the railway, but others
were too high or too low and had to be taken down and rebuilt. No.10 was at the
Boat-House at the head of the Brae Road, and it gave the people of
Old Aberdeen
access to the Canal boats.
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