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Inverness, Whin Park, Reconstructed Suspension Bridge
Suspension Bridge (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Inverness, Whin Park, Reconstructed Suspension Bridge
Classification Suspension Bridge (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Old General's Well Bridge; River Ness; Ness Islands
Canmore ID 281763
Site Number NH64SE 377
NGR NH 6589 4338
NGR Description NH c. 6589 4338
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/281763
- Council Highland
- Parish Inverness And Bona
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Inverness
- Former County Inverness-shire
NH64SE 377 c. 6589 4338
Formerly input as NH64NE 772.
For (replacement and successor) Bught Road, General's Well Bridge, see NH64SE 50.
The original General's Well Bridge formerly carried a footpath over the W channel of the River Ness to the NW of the S end of the Ness Islands, at NH c. 6611 4361. It has been reconstructed to carry a miniature railway across a dry gully within the area of Whin Park.
The location of this rebuilt structure cannot be ascertained with certainty from the available map and air photographic evidence. The current edition of the OS (GIS) AIB notes a miniature railway built on an oval plan around NH 6589 4338, on the NW bank of the River Ness.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 15 June 2006.
G Nelson 1990.
Construction (1853 - 1854)
Constructed 1853-4.
R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Publication Account (2007)
General’s Well Bridge, Inverness
(Institute Civil Engineers Historic Engineering Works no. HEW 0412)
This footbridge and its smaller companion, Island Bank Bridge, were built to span the channels of the Ness at the Ness Islands, Inverness. They were of the inclined-stayed economical form of construction, for erection on site with minimal if any scaffolding, developed by James Dredge of Bath, and were constructed under his direction in 1853–54.
General’s Well Bridge had a main span of 97 ft and Island Bank Bridge one of 87 ft. They were both 6 ft wide with timber decks suspended from eye-bar rods supported on iron posts with backstays taken down to anchorages. The number of rods in each catenarian chain reduces from six at the supports to only two at mid-span. In 1990 both bridges were taken down and later the former was re-erected in a modified form in Whin Park, Inverness and now carries a miniature railway over a dry valley.
A larger bridge of this type by Dredge has been conserved in situ by Historic Scotland at Aberchalder.
R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
