18 NSC
Sept 19
Perched on two rocky outcrops
along the north coast of Cornwall,
Tintagel Castle is a spectacular site,
inextricably linked with the legend
of King Arthur see box and visited by
almost 250,000 tourists every year.
Now separated by a steep gorge, the castle,
which is predominantly positioned on a
headland, was once linked to the mainland
and its gatehouse by a narrow strip of land
that was lost to erosion sometime during the
15th or 16th century.
The recent opening of a new footbridge
has restored this link, allowing visitors to
once again walk in the footsteps of the site’s
medieval inhabitants.
Replacing the original rock, earth and
grass, English Heritage’s new footbridge has
been constructed using steelwork, locallysourced
Cornish slate for the deck, and oak.
Fabricated in Plymouth by Underhill
Engineering and designed by structural
engineers Ney & Partners alongside William
Matthews Associates architectural practice,
the bridge consists of two independent
Bridge
Historic link restored
For the first time in more than 500 years, the two halves of
Tintagel Castle have been reconnected after the installation of a
new steel footbridge.
FACT FILE
Tintagel Castle
Footbridge, Cornwall
Main client:
English Heritage
Architect: William
Matthews Associates
Main contractor:
American Bridge
Structural engineer:
Ney & Partners
Steelwork
contractor: Underhill
Engineering
Steel tonnage: 47.5t
Bridge elements were
fabricated into fully
assembled sections
The footbridge replaces
a winding staircase
that previously offered
access to the main
castle
You can view
drone footage of the
Tintagel footbridge at
https://www.
newsteelconstruction.com/
wp/tintagel-video/
/Design_of_steel_footbridges
/Design_for_steel_bridge_construction#Fabricating_the_steelwork
/
/
/
/www
/newsteelconstruction.com