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Described as having a truly picturesque and commanding appearance, the bridge now carries the A68 across the Tyne. The river had been passable using the ford, that gave its name to the village, but increasing amounts of traffic on the route led to the bridge being built. Instrumental in its building was Sir John Dalrymple, the Convenor of Roads in the district. The bridge is contemporary with Telford's Dean Bridge in Edinburgh, and adheres to the same design. Telford developed the arch-on-arch style during earlier bridge widening schemes, when he realised it provided aesthetic appeal by shadowing the original structure. Adding pilasters to the piers allowed the secondary arch to spring from the structure, so on higher bridges such as these the superstructure appears less massive.[HS], LIFE] 201, [TROY] 136, [ENCY] 159, [SLOW] 136, [GIBB] 307, [RICH] 59, [MORR] 50
