Genius Fan

Day 6 (Monday 24 July)

I’ve driven across this bridge a few times, and always remember the twin ‘needles’ at both ends. Then I noticed a sign on the south side of the bridge, reading: “Hyndford Bridge 1773”. (That year’s featured a lot in this blog lately…it being the year Boswell and Johnson made their historic tour of Scotland.) Can we have more signs about the Eighteenth century, please! This is a reminder that the Eighteenth century is all around us. Hyndford Bridge crosses the river Clyde about a mile and a half south east of Lanark in South Lanarkshire, where the A70 and A73 cross. The bridge carries loads of traffic. I mean loads of cars, buses, tractors and lorries. It’s now 252 years old and appears to be doing pretty well. Scottish engineer Alexander Stevens built the bridge (in 1773, of course) and is credited for a number of others in Scotland, England and Ireland.

I’m stopping here. It’s driving my wife nanas having to go places with links to the Eighteenth century. It would be easy to find stuff everyday from that period of history, but it does take a little time. Not possible when I go back to work on Monday. (Interesting experiment.)

Notes
Detail about Hyndford Bridge
Information about the associated Toll House
Profile of designer Alexander Stevens
Interesting description of Hyndford Bridge