Coldstream Bridge

Coldstream Bridge crosses the River Tweed immediately to the east of Coldstream. In so doing, it also crosses the English / Scottish border, and carries a multiplex of the A697 and A698. The bridge dates back to 1767 and was designed by John Smeaton, in a stylish fashion which took many years to become widespread north of the border. The 5 arches, although differing in width, all share the same radius of the curve to allow the centreing to be reused as the bridge progressed. This has resulted in a slightly humped road way across the bridge, but as it is wide enough for two way traffic this is not a major issue.

The facades of the bridge are most attractive for a bridge of the period, with the arch rings and key stones emphasised beneath a decorative string course. blind occuli sit in the spandrels above the triangular cutwaters. However, none of this is quite as built. Changes were made to the fill of the spandrels and the occuli in 1828 by John Rennie, following some distortion in the outer masonry. Much more recently, in 1960, the original parapets and deck were removed to allow a new concrete slab to be laid, with slightly cantilevered projections to provide wider footways. The concrete was styled to match the original string course, and the parapets rebuilt above.