# Twizell Bridge

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Bridge in Northumberland, England

Twizell Bridge Twizell Bridge viewed from the south Coordinates 55°41′N 02°11′W / 55.683°N 2.183°W / 55.683; -2.183 Carries Pedestrians since 1983 Crosses River Till Locale Northumberland, England Heritage status Scheduled monument and grade II* listed Characteristics Design Arch bridge Width 4.6 m (15 ft) Longest span 27.4 m (90 ft) Clearance above 12.2 m (40 ft) History Opened 1511 Closed 1983 (to vehicular traffic) Location Interactive map of Twizell Bridge

**Twizell Bridge** (also spelt **Twizel Bridge**) is a [Tudor](/source/Tudor_period) [arch bridge](/source/Arch_bridge) which crosses the [River Till](/source/River_Till%2C_Northumberland) near [Duddo](/source/Duddo), [Northumberland](/source/Northumberland) in the [Northeast of England](/source/Northeast_of_England). It is a [Grade I listed building](/source/Listed_building) and a [Scheduled Ancient Monument](/source/Scheduled_Monument) and no longer carries vehicular traffic.[1] The bridge played a role in the [Battle of Flodden](/source/Battle_of_Flodden) in 1513.[2]

## History

Twizel Bridge was built in 1511, when it provided the only dry crossing over the River Till between its confluence with the [River Tweed](/source/River_Tweed) and the village of [Etal](/source/Etal%2C_Northumberland) some 5 miles (8 kilometres) to the southeast.[3] It was the longest stone span of any bridge in England for three centuries.[4] Local legend suggests that it was built by a lady of the [Selby family](/source/Selby_family), whose seat was [Twizell Castle](/source/Twizell_Castle) nearby. The bridge is described by the antiquary [Francis Grose](/source/Francis_Grose) in his 1784 book, *The Antiquities of England and Wales*, as "Twisle Bridge of Stone, one bow, but greate and stronge".[5]

On the morning of 9 September 1513, the English army commanded by [Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey](/source/Thomas_Howard%2C_Earl_of_Surrey) undertook a march northwards to outflank the invading Scottish army commanded by [James IV of Scotland](/source/James_IV_of_Scotland), which was encamped at Flodden Hill. The English [artillery](/source/Artillery) train and [vanguard](/source/Vanguard) under [Edmund Howard](/source/Edmund_Howard) crossed the Till at Twizel Bridge, while the main English force crossed by [fords](/source/Ford_(crossing)) and smaller bridges upstream.[6] By making this manoeuvre, Surrey forced King James to abandon his secure position on Flodden Hill and the resulting battle that afternoon was fought on ground which was disadvantageous to the Scottish tactics and contributed to their defeat.[7]

Alterations in 1770 and 1820 added small flood arches and a rebuilt [parapet](/source/Parapet) with a decorative [dentil cornice](/source/Dentil). The bridge carried the main [A698 road](/source/A698_road) from [Hawick](/source/Hawick) to [Berwick-upon-Tweed](/source/Berwick-upon-Tweed) until 1983, when a modern bridge was completed immediately to the south.[8]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Twizel Bridge, Cornhill-on-Tweed / Duddo - Northumberland"](https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/2067826). historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The tiny stone bridge that changed the course of British history"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/articles/the-tiny-stone-bridge-that-changed-the-course-of-british-history/). *The Telegraph*. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Twizel Bridge"](https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/twizel-bridge/). *co-curate.ncl.ac.uk*. Co-Curate NE. Retrieved 8 December 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-engineering_4-0)** Knowles, Eleanor. ["Twizel Bridge"](http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=20). *www.engineering-timelines.com*. Engineering Timelines. Retrieved 8 December 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Francis Grose (1784). ["Twizell Castle and Bridge"](https://books.google.com/books?id=u5cFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA141). *The Antiquities of England and Wales*. Great Britain: Hooper & Wigstead. pp. 141–143. Retrieved 18 April 2019 – via books.google.co.uk.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Hallam-Baker, Clive (2012). *The Battle of Flodden: How and Why*. The Remembering Floden Project. p. 59. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-9573313-0-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9573313-0-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Hallam-Baker (2012), pp. 147-148

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Pastscape - TWIZEL BRIDGE"](http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1354). *www.pastscape.org.uk*. Historic England. Retrieved 8 December 2017.

## External links

- [Heritage at Risk Register](/source/Heritage_at_Risk_Register): [*Twizel+Bridge*](https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/results?q=Twizel+Bridge&searchtype=har)

Authority control databases Geographic Structurae Other Kulturenvanteri monument

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Twizell Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twizell_Bridge) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twizell_Bridge?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.