Swarkestone Bridge

The splendid bridge over the mighty Trent Excellent for barbel, roach, dace and the occasional pike.

Swarkestone Bridge The bridge at Swarkestone crosses the River Trent about six miles south of Derby and was for about three hundred years the Midlands main crossing of the Trent. The photograph shows the span of the bridge where it crosses the actual river. The bridge is in total just under a mile long and has seventeen arches. It was built in the thirteenth century to cross the river and its surrounding marshes. The bushes in the exteme left of the photograph mark the site of the bridge chapel and toll house. Nothing remains of the buildings, the rough water seen below the bridge is caused by the remains of an earlier bridge which was demolished and its fabric left on the river bed. Bonnie Prince Charlie sent his soldiers to establish a bridge-head at Swarkestone in 1745 just before his retreat from taking the English throne. Swarkestone has a very old village church, a full cricket pitch, the Crewe and Harpur pub, a canal with locks, moorings and a canalside tea-rooms. Swarkestone bridge is the longest stone bridge in England.

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