We’ll soon be overrun by those damned Bermudians!” Nevertheless, the opening of the new bridge, named by Governor Sir T. Astley Cubitt after the Severn Bridge linking Wales with England, was certainly cause for celebration. According to Bermuda Online, on September 1, 1880, the Causeway was wrecked by “the great storm. The Somerset Bridge is a Historic Monument listed building. It must be remembered that the Causeway was built long before the landfill was made in St. David’s to create the base and airport in the early 1940s, so in the nineteenth century the Causeway linked the Main Island with Long Bird Island, now hidden under the runway. Nevertheless, Governor Butler’s Fifth Act in his General Assembly of 1620 ordered the “construction of certain public bridges and their maintenance,” essential for footpaths allowing people to gather on public occasions. This music is for the lost, the broken, the hurt, the angry, the … Listen to music from Bermuda like Under the Bridge (Only Pretty People Can Hear This … Their debut EP "Isolationist(s)" is available now and their new album "The Wandering" is out July 17th, both via Mediaskare Records! That number, of course, includes key bridges linking our main islands: St. George’s, the Main Island—once known as the “Continent”—Somerset, Watford, Boaz, Ireland Island South and Ireland Island North.But it also includes footbridges over golf courses, over moats into some of our most popular forts and a few decorative bridges in gardens open to the public. According to the 1883 Bermuda Almanac, the distance from the Keepers House to Blue Hole was one mile, 1,430 yards. Supporter of the American Revolution “Henry Tucker of the Bridge” lived nearby in his still-standing Bridge House mansion, while a literary society, the Somerset Bridge Club run by Mrs. Ruth Young, met for 70 years at Crossways, a cottage on Bridge Lane. Instead, a small ferry operated between the two facing points. Picturesque though the bridge is in antique drawings and watercolours—Thomas Driver’s water colour, for example, and Susette Harriet Lloyd’s drawing in her Sketches of Bermuda published in 1835—Flatts Bridge was sometimes the public place of savage punishment where the “jumper” would whip slaves or where once a blasphemer was made to stand on a cask on the bridge and have his tongue bored through with a hot iron. In 1795 Simon Frazer, ordnance commissary for the royal military, bought both islands for £100. It is with that in mind that we explore some of Bermuda’s bridges past and present, telling stories where appropriate along the way.As previously mentioned there were three wooden bridges in existence by 1624. There is an 18 inch wooden plank in the middle which is removed when a masted boat needs to pass thru.Supposedly the smallest drawbridge in the world, Somerset Bridge opens only 18" to let sailboat masts through.
Once a year, they raise it and lower it. It cost £32,000, the “Imperial Government having contributed £8,506,” and was toll free. These walkways help in maintaining the balance as well as support the suspended sections. There is a small parking area right over the bridge so you can safely stop for a picture. 4. In the early 19th century, a committee was … 6
Somerset Bridge is the world's smallest working drawbridge.
3 Both the cut and the bridge were named Cockburn (pronounced “Coburn”), either after Admiral Sir George Cockburn who served twice on the North American station, or his brother Sir James Cockburn who served as governor of Bermuda. The Severn, which could be raised to allow a 78-foot clearance for marine traffic, was eventually dismantled in 1971. Afterwards, the causeway was rebuilt of stone block.”During Hurricane Fabian in 2003, four people were blown off the Causeway and drowned, while the bridge itself was severely damaged. 2
The one we see today, rebuilt in 1998, is a concrete cantilever bridge.
On that cruise, we won a copy of a painting of the bridge and we were anxious to visit to take a photo. This year, we made it.
4 ... Amongst 10 of the major bridges in Bermuda, the Somerset Bridge (incidentally the world’s smallest draw bridge) provides the best sunset photo opportunities over Evan’s bay.
However, there was an older one still, and Bermuda’s first, not shown on the map but mentioned in the House of Assembly’s first meeting minutes of 1620: “The Bridge wch is already erected at the fflatts ouer the mouth of the little sound be made more substantiall.” That was a footbridge over the tidal race at Flatts between the Inlet and Harrington Sound, linking Smith’s Parish with Hamilton Parish. The Causeway (links Main Island with long bird island at the eastern end) … We didn't know it was a bridge let alone the smallest drawbridge until we were told about it. Get track
St. David’s’s oldest inhabitant, Miss Patty Hayward, aged 94, and niece of Captain Joseph, drove over the bridge by horse and carriage with the governor. 22 There are at least seven bands named Bermuda: 1.
In fact, until 1799 Ordnance Island was actually two islands: to the east was Cobbler’s Island, which later became known as Gallows Island because public executions were carried out there, and to the west, Ducking Stool Island where scolds and gossips were punished.