Wearmouth Bridge

What it is

This is an engraving dated 1796 showing the cast-iron Wearmouth Bridge over the River Wear at Sunderland, England. It shows a single wide arch spanning the river, with carriages on the deck, sailing ships on the water, and people standing on a stone quay at lower right. The print is from the King George III Topographical Collection, an online exhibition of the British Library. The bridge itself was opened in 1796.

Why it matters

Wearmouth Bridge was the second major bridge made of cast iron and was admired as an achievement of the industrial age. Its builders were influenced by Thomas Paine, who had built a demonstration cast-iron span in Paddington in 1789 and submitted designs for Wearmouth. The ribs of both bridges may have been cast at the same Rotherham foundry. The bridge sponsor was Rowland Burdon, and the architectural features were designed by Thomas Wilson. The bridge shows Paine's work as an engineer, not only as a writer.

Look closer

• What does the engraving show about how people used the bridge and the river?
• Why might an engraver include ships, carriages and people in a picture of a new structure?
• What does the picture leave out, such as who paid for the bridge and who built it?