Four castellated portals remain from an unusually early 140-foot suspension footbridge whose deck and chains have disappeared.
Quick facts
- Date
- Around 1826; deck and chains removed in the late nineteenth century
- Architect / designer
- Designer unconfirmed
- Type
- Castellated stone pylons of a former suspension footbridge
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB51807)
- OS grid reference
- NT 56682 18688
Architecture and continuing use
Mixed sandstone towers stand on opposite banks with tall pointed portals, machicolated heads and capstones made to carry chains. Square holes and metal bedplates record how the missing suspension system met the masonry.
Its story
The footbridge was probably erected around 1826, when long suspension spans were still novel. By the late nineteenth century its deck and chains had been removed and reportedly sold for reuse in England, leaving the stone pylons as paired ruins.
Why it is included
Category C listing protects an early engineering fragment whose surviving towers make the operation and loss of a substantial pedestrian crossing legible.
What to notice
- Pointed arches framing empty space.
- Chain holes and bearing stones at the tower heads.
- The offset relationship with the later road bridge downstream.
Reading the surroundings
There is no bridge deck. View from safe lawful paths, keep away from steep or flooded banks and never attempt to cross the river or climb the towers.
Timeline
- Around 1826 A 140-foot suspended footway crossed the Teviot.
- Late 1800s Decking and ironwork were removed for reuse.
- 2011 The surviving masonry pylons were listed.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The designer and exact construction year remain unconfirmed, and riverbank access can vary with weather and land management.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Denholm Suspension Bridge Towers, LB51807 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB51807 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NT 56682 18688 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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