Retracting Footbridge, St Katharine Docks

The original footbridge.

St Katharine Docks, which was the only major project of Thomas Telford in London, opened in 1828. His idea was to use as much of the land as possible for warehouses and to limit quayside space, ensuring cargo was lifted directly into the warehouses.

Because of the way he designed the docks, narrow footpaths allowed workers to walk around the site. However, to get from one side of the dock to the other could take some time, so Thomas Rhodes, the resident engineer of Telford, designed this retractable bridge, between the Central Basin and the East Dock.

Constructed with iron castings and wrought iron forgings, by John Lloyd, the bridge was linked to rail-mounted cast iron counterweight boxes that allowed it to stretch across the dock. Using a rack and pinion system the bridge could be retracted into the masonry of the dock walls.

The housing for the bridge.

In 1994, a new design of the bridge utilised much of the original bridge space, materials and mechanical elements to honour the history of the bridge.

This new design became known as the 'Loverose' bridge and is currently undergoing a full restoration.

The original south part of the retractable bridge.

An information plaque states: 

“This footbridge originally spanned the entrance to the East Dock. 

A drawing of the bridge, dated October 1829, is signed Thomas Rhodes, who was Thomas Telford’s resident engineer here from November 1828. On 27 October 1829 the Dock Company accepted the tender of John Lloyd, a millwright of Westminster, to build the wrought iron footbridge for £447. To allow ships to enter the East Dock the two halves of the bridge were withdrawn into recesses in the masonry. The bridge remained at the dock entrance until 1994, and is not only a link with the early period of St. Katherine Dock but is also a rare survivor of this type of structure.”

The bridge in use at sunset.