Mathematical Bridge

The Mathematical Bridge at Queens' College is a wooden footbridge across the Cam, built in 1749 and reconstructed twice since. It is called the Mathematical Bridge because its arches are constructed from straight timbers arranged in a pattern of tangent lines rather than curved beams — an elegant piece of engineering that produces a curved effect from entirely straight components. Local legend, entirely unfounded, credits Isaac Newton with designing it without screws or bolts.

The bridge is most easily viewed from the riverbank or from a punt. Queens' College charges admission to enter the grounds during term time, but you can see the bridge from the river or from the lane alongside it.

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A story
The legend that Isaac Newton designed the bridge, and that it was originally held together without bolts, is completely false — Newton died in 1727, and the bridge was first built in 1749. It has always had bolts. But the legend is so widely repeated that most visitors have heard it before they arrive, and it makes the bridge more interesting than it would otherwise be, which is perhaps the point of legends.