Completed in 1849 and designed by Robert Stephenson the High Level Bridge was the
solution to a complex problem, that of spanning 400 metres of river valley, 156 metres of which is across water. Officially opened by Queen Victoria in September 1849 it was the world’s first dual-decked rail and road bridge.
The High Level Bridge, along with the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick upon Tweed,
completed the London-Edinburgh railway that is now known as the East Coast Main Line.
The Grade I Listed High Level Bridge soon became a favourite landmark in Newcastle
and even inspired James Hill, a local fiddler, to write the High Level Hornpipe in 1849.
The High Level Bridge closed to traffic in 2005 for repairs and reopened in 2008, once again carrying trains on the higher level, and limited traffic and pedestrians below.
Robert Stephenson was a civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer. Robert Stephenson & Co. started the world's
first, purpose-built locomotive factory on South Street, here in Newcastle. It was in this factory that they designed 'The Rocket' which competed in and won the 'Rainhill Trials'. As
a result Robert Stephenson & Co. were given the contract to produce locomotives for the
new Liverpool & Manchester Railway.
