Over 45 bridges cross the River Tweed, connecting communities across the river and across the border.
The oldest bridge on the River Tweed is the Berwick Bridge, also known as the Berwick Old Bridge, which is one of three bridges crossing the Tweed in Berwick. Built between 1611 and 1624, it is a Grade I listed stone bridge constructed of Tweedmouth Red Sandstone giving it its iconic colour. The bridge recently celebrated its 400th anniversary!
The first bridge to cross the Anglo-Scottish border was constructed in 1766 at Coldstream and links Coldstream with Cornhill-on-Tweed in Northumberland.
Kelso Bridge is a story of community investment and tragedy. The first bridge was opened on the site in 1754 funded by private investors. This replaced a ferry service which was dangerous in bad weather. However, in 1756 an arch collapsed, killing 6 people. The bridge was repaired after this but a storm in 1797 caused severe damage to the foundations and the bridge collapsed into the river. A replacement bridge was built in 1803, engineered by John Rennie.
The Leaderfoot Viaduct near Melrose, opened in 1863 to carry the Berwickshire railway, however, severe flooding damaged the line in 1948 and it was subsequently closed. The imposing arches of the viaduct have been photographed thousands of times and never fail to impress.
