Managed by Heritage Unlocked, this page is a celebration of the Tees Newport Bridge and the Facebook home of the new book 'The Tees Newport Bridge: The Untold Story of a Steel River Landmark'. It is in no way related to the management of the structure by Stockton-on-Tees Council. The page was set up in 2014 to celebrate the Tees Newport Bridge's 80th anniversary and with view to publishing a book.
A decade on as the icon marks its 90th anniversary since opening, a new book will be published! A new book celebrating the history of the iconic Tees Newport Bridge, officially opened 90 years ago today (Wednesday 28th February 2024), will be released ahead of Local History Month this May. The richly-illustrated bumper book, entitled The Tees Newport Bridge: The Untold Story of a Steel River Landmark, is authored by Middlesbrough-born University of Sheffield academic Dr Tosh Warwick and explores the history of a remarkable engineering wonder that has long been overshadowed by the nearby Tees Transporter Bridge. Opened on Wednesday 28th February 1934 by the Duke of York, the Tees (Newport) Bridge was dubbed the ‘Tees Wonder Bridge’ as the largest vertical-lift bridge of its type in the world and the first of its type in the country. The Teesside landmark was constructed by Middlesbrough-based, famed bridge builders Dorman Long, who also built global icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge. Built as the main vehicular crossing of the River Tees, famously dubbed the ‘Steel River’ by Chris Rea, construction work on the Bridge played a major role in relieving unemployment in the 1930s, whilst the new link between the counties of Durham and Yorkshire supported the development of new and expanding industries along the Tees including ICI. In the ensuing 90 years, the Newport Bridge – also referred to as the Tees Bridge - has played a major role in the economic, social and transportation history and heritage of Teesside. A decade in the making, the idea for the book on the lesser-celebrated bridge linking Middlesbrough with the north bank of the Tees dates back to the landmark’s 80th anniversary in 2014 when Tosh collaborated on a project with Teesside Archives that uncovered and digitised previously unseen photographs of Newport Bridge, which last lifted in 1990. The Tees Newport Bridge: The Untold Story of a Steel River Landmark features dozens of the previously unpublished construction and opening ceremony photographs and also draws upon rarely seen archival material from private collections, Middlesbrough Libraries, Teesside Archives and local newspaper archives to provide a fascinating insight into the history of the Grade II listed structure. The impact of deindustrialisation, tales of triumphs and tragedies and dozens of memories are accompanied by a range of facts, figures and plans in Heritage Unlocked’s latest publication. The Newport Bridge inspired work of a number of leading artists and photographers including Abby+Owen, Robin Dale, Philip Meadows, Alan Morley, Mackenzie Thorpe, Richard Wagner and Graham Frank Wright also features in the book. Author Dr Tosh Warwick said: “For over a decade I have chipped away at writing this book celebrating the ‘other’ historic bridge spanning the ‘Steel River’ between Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees.
“By delving into the fascinating records of public and private collections, hearing memories of the local community and discovering the rich range of artwork and photography inspired by the structure, it was apparent that Newport Bridge was deserving of more attention and a dedicated book as it is a key historic link across the Tees and a record-breaking engineering wonder. It also holds a special place in the hearts of many Teessiders and I hope the book will appeal to those proud of the region’s bridge building history and industrial heritage.”
To mark the 90th anniversary of the Newport Bridge, the first 90 books ordered from Heritage Unlocked will be signed and numbered by the author and accompanied by a signed A4 art print by artist Graham Frank Wright at a special price of £19.34 – priced to mark the 1934 opening of the landmark (Book only RRP £19.99) at www.heritageunlocked.com/shop/newportbridge. Graham Frank Wright’s Newport Bridge A4 art print is also available to purchase separately for £14.99.
