Bridge of Sighs
View of the bridge taken from the Kitchen Bridge in 2014
Coordinates52°12′30.33″N 000°06′56.76″E / 52.2084250°N 0.1157667°E / 52.2084250; 0.1157667 (Bridge of Sighs)
CrossesRiver Cam
LocaleSt John's College, Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Official nameNew Court Bridge[1]
Preceded byKitchen Bridge
Followed byMagdalene Bridge
Characteristics
DesignCovered arch bridge
MaterialStone
No. of spansOne
History
ArchitectHenry Hutchinson
Construction end1831[2]
Location
Map

The Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge, England is a stone covered bridge at St John's College, Cambridge. It was built in 1831 and crosses the River Cam between the college's Third Court and New Court. The architect was Henry Hutchinson.[3][4] It is named after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice,[5] although they have little architecturally in common beyond the fact that they are both covered bridges with arched bases. The bridge, a Grade I listed building,[4] is a Cambridge attraction and Queen Victoria is said to have loved it more than any other spot in the city.[6]

History

In the early 19th century, St. John's College added accommodation on the west side of the River Cam, an area known as the Backs, with the construction of New Court. The new buildings and the bridge linking them with the original college buildings were designed in 1827 by Henry Hutchinson in the fashionable Gothic Revival style. Construction was completed in 1831, shortly before his death.[2]

On two occasions, students have pulled the prank of dangling a car under the bridge. In the first incident (in June 1963), a 1928 Austin 7 was punted down the river using four punts that had been lashed together, then hoisted up under the bridge using ropes.[7] The second incident (in 1968) a Bond or Reliant Regal three-wheeler car was dangled under the bridge.[citation needed] In neither case was the bridge damaged.

The bridge was a favourite spot of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who had photos taken there in 1947 when he was a student, upon Lee Hsien Loong's graduation in 1974 and in 2000.[8][9]

In popular culture

The bridge was a filming location for Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007 and The Theory of Everything in 2014.[2] The bridge can also be seen in the music video for the song "High Hopes" by Pink Floyd.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "The Bridge of Sighs". www.joh.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Cambridge Tourist Information". About Britain. Retrieved 23 June 2008. The famous Bridge of Sighs built in 1831 by Henry Hutchinson spans the River Cam...
  4. ^ a b Historic England. "St John's College, New Bridge (Grade I) (1326664)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  5. ^ "The Bridge of Sighs - St John's College, Cambridge". St John.
  6. ^ "New Court". St. John's College. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  7. ^ "Plans to recreate Austin 7 Cambridge student stunt racing ahead". Cambridge News. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  8. ^ migration (26 March 2015). "PM Lee shares old pictures of parents at Cambridge's Bridge of Sighs".
  9. ^ "Lee Hsien Loong". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  10. ^ Pink Floyd - High Hopes (Official Music Video HD), retrieved 6 February 2022

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bridge of Sighs (Cambridge).


Bridges over the River Cam (south to north)
St John's College, Cambridge
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