Ney & Partners and William Matthew Associates create double cantilever bridge with symbolic sliver gap for Tintagel Castle
by Andy Knaggs | 12 Aug 2019
– Kate Mavor, English Heritage
A £5m (US$6m, €5.4m) programme of improvements at world-famous Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, UK, has reached a milestone, with the opening of a footbridge that joins the two halves of the castle for the first time in more than 500 years.
Designed by Ney & Partners engineers and William Matthew Associates Architectural Practice, the bridge spans a 190-foot gorge between the 13th-century gatehouse on the mainland and the courtyard on a jagged headland jutting into the sea.
There was once a narrow land bridge connecting the two sites, but this disappeared through erosion during the 15th or 16th centuries.
The bridge is made from two independent cantilevers. Both stretch 33m (108ft), meeting at the centre of the gorge, with a 4cm gap left to represent the "transition between the mainland and the island, the present and the past, history and legend".
Linked to the legend of King Arthur, the name Tintagel itself derives from the Cornish Din Tagell, which means "the Fortress of the Narrow Entrance" – a reference to the historic crossing point.
The castle is a popular heritage attraction, welcoming more than 250,000 visitors a year. The new footbridge will help to reduce congestion and improve accessibility, making the entire castle explorable for those unable to tackle its steps.
Positioned 57m (187ft) above sea level, the bridge is constructed from 47.5 tonnes of steel, 140m of oak, and 40,000 slate tiles that were hand-cut from a quarry just three miles from Tintagel. Members of the public were able to donate funds to help build the bridge and were each allowed to sign one of the Cornish slates that form its walkway. There was also a private donation of £2.5m (US$3m, €2.7m) from Julia and Hans Rausing towards the project – the largest such donation ever received by English Heritage.
As part of the investment, footpaths around the site have also been improved, helping to reduce the impact on the castle's archaeology and ecology.
English Heritage Tintagel Castle Ney & Partners William Matthew Associates Architectural Practice Kate Mavor
The new bridge fords a 190-foot gorge between two parts of the castle Credit: English Heritage/Jim Holden
The bridge is constructed from two 33m-long cantilevers Credit: English Heritage/Jim Holden
The opening of the bridge will mean a lot less climbing of steps for visitors Credit: English Heritage/Jim Holden
And here's the view through that gap - 57 metres above the sea Credit: English Heritage/Jim Holden
30 Mar 2016
Competition win: Ney & Partners to build bridge for crumbling castle linked to tales of King Arthur
03 Dec 2015
Visions unveiled for footbridge connecting mythical King Arthur castle to mainland
A £5m (US$6m, €5.4m) programme of improvements at world-famous Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, UK, has reached a milestone, with the opening of a footbridge that joins the two halves of the castle for the first time in more than 500 years. Designed by Ney & Partners engineers and William Matthew Associates Architectural Practice, the bridge spans a 190-foot gorge between the 13th-century gatehouse on the mainland and the courtyard on a
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