Roundabout ritual of the old bridge

I can't imagine that there was all that much difference in actual turning time, but the four corners of the old swing bridge had to be unwound first and then wound back after the operations. This took a little time.

The gas main had to be reconnected and the steel capstan and four wooden poles stowed away in lockers in the bridge's side, but there again, there were eight men spare for these jobs after the pushing was over.

Now as I remember, the steel capstan was lowered through a hole in the wooden decking, where it engaged into a square hole in a small toothed cog which was engaged with a curved strip of teeth fixed to the foundations. This must have allowed for a minimum of 90 degrees turn.

With four long poles for good leverage and a low gear with the moving cog, the operation was not too daunting for eight man power.

As with its modern successor, close the road and the traffic soon piles up. The modern flow is so vast, but could be compared with pre-war bank holiday conditions and I can remember the tail of the hold-up reaching to the golf club on the way to Peacehaven, so the great improvement of 1973 simply means that with today's better facilities it happens all the time.

Some readers may be puzzled at my reference to the gas main joined to the old bridge.

Well, the gas works were in Railway Road, south from the pen factory and also on the opposite side of the road.

The majority of the town and gas consumption was on the western side of the river, so to avoid unnecessary loss of life through explosions, two gas holders were erected among the allotments to the north of Evelyn Avenue and near to Lewes Road, where also was situated The Gas House, occupied by a member of the company.

We are fortunate that at the museum we have several relics from the first bridge, including the vertical metal capstan and the fitting at the top to take the four poles, the beautiful street-like lamp post with its red glass to warn shipping at night of the presence of the bridge across the water, two of the four lamp standards which were mounted on brick pillars at the two ends of the old bridge, and the two

finials mounting the artistic side supports of the old structure.

These were reserved for us, but sadly the historical compass was erected for Newhaven Square and although it was a pleasure to provide the information for the segments and entice harbour pilot Aubrey Durham to kindly determine true north, the beautiful three side supports finished up on railway land at the Each Beach.

When later we gained a town manager who sought such town furniture, we then learned that a scrap merchant had removed the desirable relics!

Note in the first picture, the path of the railway which crossed the bridge to the far end of the breakwater, up to the early 1960s.

There is a wonderful model of the bridge in the museum, with a model of the loco, Fenchurch, with Harry Avis walking in front with his red flag and hand bell, and a file on the building of this masterpiece as kept by a foreman.

PETER BAILEY

Peter Bailey is curator of the Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum based in its own fascinating premises in the grounds of Paradise Park in Avis Road, Newhaven. Opening hours are Saturdays and Sundays, all year, 2-5pm or by arrangement, weekdays, 2-4pm. Admission 1 (accompanied children free). Contact the curator on 01273 514760. Log on to the website at www.newhavenmuseum.co.uk