Union Chain Bridge – which has provided a link between Scotland and England for 200+ years – faced an uncertain future. Co-owned by two local authorities, with an anticipated cost of repair in the millions, the world’s oldest vehicular suspension bridge would likely be mothballed, severing links across the Tweed, and disavowing the region of an internationally important monument.
Introduction
The campaigning of community volunteers, the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge, inspired a unique cross-sectoral partnership. Northumberland County Council, Scottish Borders Council, Museums Northumberland, and the Friends devised an ambitious project to save the bridge and inspire a new generation through STEM.
The challenge
There are few parts of the world with as bloody a history as the borderlands – hundreds of years of bitter feuds have left us with a legacy of terms like ‘bereaved’ and ‘blackmail’ along with many unresolved questions over nationhood and identity. Today, the border constitutes over 8,200 kilometres of roads and 2,700 bridges, jointly owned and managed by Scottish Borders and Northumberland County Councils. Many are listed structures, much-loved and depended upon by local communities, whilst also forming a vital part of the UK's transport network. Largely built before the age of motorised vehicles, and with the passage of time and increasing demands being placed upon them, these assets are frequently in need of expensive repair, and subject to the consent of numerous authorities.
The bridge was placed on the heritage at risk registers by both Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland in 2013, sparking community concerns that this important local link could be lost without urgent action. The tireless campaigning of the Friends inspired the formation of a unique cross-sectoral partnership led by Northumberland County Council, Scottish Borders Council, and Museums Northumberland.
Our challenge was to restore the 200-year-old Category A/Grade 1 listed structure spanning the River Tweed. One barrier facing both councils as co-owners of the bridge was the availability of sufficient capital to undertake the restoration works, given its relatively low priority as a highways asset. The partners also had to navigate the different nations’ approaches to historic conservation practice, environmental protection, land rights, devolved culture, educational curricula, funding provision, and even different Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and constraints.
It was clear from the outset that our shared vision would be a monumental challenge, requiring resilience, adaptability and innovation from the whole team and the strong and unfaltering support of our local communities and partner organisations.
The solution
Our solution was the establishment of a unique partnership project with the aim of conserving the internationally significant Union Chain Bridge, preserving its intangible heritage, and delivering an extensive programme of public engagement. Driven by our common vision, a Memorandum of Understanding was developed. This was then translated into a robust and legally binding 'collaboration' agreement, which established clear governance and decision-making arrangements, allocated roles, responsibilities, and obligations on each of the respective partners and laid the foundation upon which we were able to progress with confidence.
We needed to find a solution to conserve the bridge while also elevating the profile of this somewhat overlooked engineering gem (once at the forefront of material technology and engineering innovation) and create a visitor attraction to support the vital tourism economy of the Borderlands region.
Together, we developed an innovative funding strategy using the project as a catalyst to inspire a new generation to consider STEM careers, and embed some much-needed shared skills, assets, and pride across our Borderlands communities. Our strategy highlighted the unique selling propositions of the project, identified potential income sources, allocated responsibilities to the partner organisations, and made full use of the Friends’ charitable status to open new funding pathways on both sides of the border.
The project has been successful in putting forward a compelling case for support to a wide range of funding bodies, overcoming the perception that this was simply a highway maintenance issue for the two local authorities, and attracting over £4.5 million in external funding, against the overall project cost of £10.5 million. This success was achieved by positioning the scheme as a cutting-edge engineering conservation project that would safeguard the future of an iconic and internationally important engineering structure, whilst also delivering a broad range of heritage, community, educational, employment and economic objectives.
The impact
The conservation works have required the innovative use of technology and techniques normally used in the construction and maintenance of cable cars and ski lifts, to allow the careful dismantling and reconstruction of the bridge one element at a time - whilst safeguarding the staff and protecting the environment of the River Tweed corridor. This approach mirrors much of the original bridge construction `and is revealing a great deal about Samuel Brown’s methodology.
Despite Covid constraints, nesting Mallards and a national shortage of cement we have adapted and amended our approach to ensure the conservation work has been able to progress. The bridge’s suspension chains, hangers and bridge deck have been completely dismantled, structural elements have undergone detailed inspection and have been repaired or replaced, and reconstruction of the bridge is currently underway. Once completed, an agreed maintenance plan will ensure that the bridge will remain in functional use for at least another 120 years.
The wider project has been successful in using the conservation of the bridge to forge stronger connections between border communities as well as providing impactful and sustainable STEM learning opportunities inspired by the innovative engineering of the Union Chain Bridge.
Through our work, we have responded to the rising calls of both Westminster and Holyrood in answering the pressing need for STEM skills. Uniquely placed to test the different curricular approaches, we have experimented with using Archaeology Scotland’s ‘Heritage Hero’ methodology with English schools, and Arts Council England’s Arts Award in a Scottish context. We’re delivering a bespoke STEM Learning programme to 17 partner school across Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The programme is based on an innovative model of engagement, sustained over the long term, which ensures that our activities support children and their key influencers (parents/carers/ teachers) to provide impactful and sustainable STEM learning opportunities.
How is the new approach being sustained?
The key to sustaining our work is the success of our partnership approach. Project partners meet weekly to share information, discuss progress, and consider any issues. The partnership’s board meets monthly to ensure they have strong oversight on progress and can make key decisions on issues impacting programme and/or budget. These regular meetings are vital to the continued success of the project, they ensure that a joined-up approach to delivery despite each partner having responsibility for individual aspects of the project.
As a partnership of two councils and two charities, ensuring our local communities have ownership and benefit at all stages of the project has been vital. Our principal contractors have been phenomenal allies, adding community value throughout. This has included recycling unusable deck timbers to construct a new bar in the village hall, changing working arrangements to reduce noise impacts for a nearby caravan site, and with two staff members even providing lifesaving emergency first aid to an elderly resident living next to the bridge.
To ensure that the increased awareness of the bridge’s significance is sustained, we are implementing an extensive interpretation plan to engage the public with the bridge’s history and its restoration. This includes on-site interpretation panels along with two bronze sculptures that tell the story of the bridge through innovative digital devices. We have worked with partner venues Chain Bridge Honey Farm and Paxton House, installing two permanent exhibitions about the bridge at the attractions. We have established a dedicated project website to provide comprehensive information on the project.
A key element of our STEM Learning programme is the provision of teacher CPD which will ensure that teachers in our partner schools with have the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue to deliver project resources and increased STEM in their teaching following project completion.
Lessons learned
The cross-border nature of the project has meant that the project team have had to surmount key issues such as the complexity of securing dual approvals for Listed Building Consent, undertaking work in the marine environment, and respecting different legislative contexts for temporary works and access to land. The sensitively managed negotiations with communities, Heritage organisations and planning authorities, has enabled all parties to devise a solution to ensure the structural integrity and functionality of the bridge for the next 120 years, and deliver a plethora of new community assets. By devoting time to relationship building, and knowledge-sharing from our multidisciplinary perspectives, we have created ways of working that will doubtlessly benefit cross-border working in the future.
Agility has been essential in light of Covid-19. We have had to significantly adapt our engagement programme to deliver public benefit throughout. Quickly delivering STEM kits to family homes on both side of the border, transitioning talks and tours (including the bicentenary) to international academic publications and online events, and creating downloadable STEM resources for families to enjoy at home. Consequently, we’ve exceeded all of our engagement targets, and the sustained partnerships have allowed us to take on more ambitious projects, such as digging unknown Roman Fortlets (in partnership with Historic England), and delivering community-curated contemporary art.
Communication has been absolutely vital in the successful delivery of the project. Each project partner has their own key outcomes and responsibilities, the bridge is a key asset of great importance to our local communities, and it is also a well-used transport link between England and Scotland. Ensuring clear communication, internally and externally, has been incredibly important so that all interested parties are fully informed about progress. Our partnerships have allowed us to live up to our Bridge’s motto, 'Vis Unita Fortior' - 'United Strength is Stronger'.
Contact
Rowan Brown, email: [email protected]