Scale Lane Footbridge

Curving swing footbridge over the River Hull, the country's first that allows passengers to ride it open

The Scale Lane Footbridge connects the Old Town to the regenerated east bank of the River Hull. It is a curving steel structure that pivots on a single base near the eastern shore. The walking surface is decked in hardwood and ends in a small viewing platform.

The bridge is open round the clock when not swinging. The east bank, formerly working wharves, is being gradually redeveloped — the Arctic Corsair will eventually be moored here in a new museum site, and a new pedestrian quarter is taking shape. The view back to the Old Town from the bridge is one of the best in the city.

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Scale Lane Bridge swings open about ten times a week to let larger vessels pass up the River Hull. Uniquely, pedestrians are allowed to stay on the bridge while it swings — it carries them out into the middle of the river and back. The bridge won several engineering awards after opening in 2013 and has become one of Hull's quietly memorable city-walking experiences.

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