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The Forth Rail Bridge

Les noms des biens figurent dans la langue dans laquelle les Etats parties les ont soumis.

Royaume-Uni de Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord (Europe et Amérique du nord)
Date de soumission : 21/06/1999
Critères: (i)(ii)(iv)
Catégorie : Culturel
Soumis par : Dep. For Culture, Media and Sport Buildings, Monuments and Sites
Coordonnées Long. 3°23'23" W / Lat. 56°00'04" N Fife and Edinburgh, Scotland
Ref.: 1324

Description

The Forth Rail Bridge, which was opened in 1890, is an internationally recognised symbol of the achievements of late 19th century engineering. Its robust and original design took account of the lessons on the effect of wind on exposed bridges learned from the Tay Bridge disaster of 1 s79. It was the first major steel bridge in Europe. It is certainly the best known Rail Bridge in the world, and one of the most renowned civil engineering feats of all time. The Bridge provides a rail link across the River Firth between the Lothians and Fife. It is located on the site of the historic crossing point on the river between what are now the towns of South and North QueensSerry. (The name Queensferry refers to Saint Margaret's crossing to the then royal capital of Dunfermline in 1070 for her marriage to King Malcolm Canmore). Features such as ferry piers by John Rennie, related inns and leading lights, fortifications ranging in date from medieval to Second World War, batteries and coastguard stations perched around quarries in Fife, all point to the narrowing of the Firth at the point that dictated the location of the Bridge. A road bridge has since 1964 shared the same isthmus as the Rail Bridge. Designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson, it is just longer than the Severn Bridge (1966) and remained the longest suspension bridge in the UK until the Humber Bridge opened, as the world's largest, in 1981. Long views of the Rail Bridge invariably now include the Forth Road Bridge either in front or behind it. Happily the road bridge is of a completely different form and colour, and there is no possibility of confusing the two. Indeed t~hey make a complementary group. Boundaries The Bridge spans an isthmus on the River Forth, linking the towns of North and South QueensSerry. The proposed World Heritage Site encompasses the Bridge and the Conservation Area designated in each of these towns. It is proposed that the North Queensferry Conservation Area will be enlarged to take in the Fife pier of the bridge, shore defences and the railway pier.