The Ultimate Recycling

[Meantime]

I came across the following bit of trivia the other day. The old Duke's Palace bridge across the river Wensum was dismantled in 1972 when the bridge needed to be replaced to accommodate heavier traffic. It was put into storage and when the Castle Mall development was being completed the old bridge was used as supports at the entrance to the Castle Mall car park. The Norwich Castle gardens tun across it now.

The picture below shows the bridge in its original location circa 1938

Below is the modern replacement, not such a work of art. Circa 1978

Below is the old Dukes Palace Bridge in its new position at the entrance to the Castle Mall car park

 

[C.Ricko]

Thats fantastic trivia... where is the other half?

[oldgregg]

It's awesome isn't it. I have also wondered where the rest of it is!

There's a documentary about the building of Castle Mall, it really is a fascinating project as it it woven into the fabric of the city centre like pretty much no other shopping centre ever has been.

I was fairly young when it was being built, but I remember standing on the temporary bridge to the Castle circa 1990 and looking into the massive hole and seeing the decks of the structure being built under Castle Meadow and Farmer's Avenue.

Such a complex and clever project. It will be an absolute nightmare to demolish, I suspect they might not do it as a whole.

 

[Meantime]

So I'll start this as a quiz first of all. Anyone spot the error in reassembling the bridge at Castle Mall? I cannot see any logical reason for why it was done. Was it done for a reason? or because no one noticed at the time?

[Regulo]

They've left out the hose drop opening. Probably to make it all symmetrical to the eye.

[chrisdobson45]

I worked on the Castle Mall development in 1990, I was an engineer with Expanded Piling, based in Grimsby.  

[dom]

2 hours ago, oldgregg said:

I was fairly young when it was being built, but I remember standing on the temporary bridge to the Castle circa 1990 and looking into the massive hole and seeing the decks of the structure being built under Castle Meadow and Farmer's Avenue

I used to work off St.Benedict's Street back then, but used to walk past on the way to La Rouen for beers with mates. I often wish I'd carried a camera more often, but it was obviously much more hassle to develop photos, etc in those days. I'd love to have photos of this, and countless other places which have changed beyond all recognition.

[oldgregg]

There's some pretty good pictures here too, you'll need to click/tap to make them bigger.

Norwich Castle Mall Development (georgeplunkett.co.uk)

There's also a (paid) article about it at the Institution of Structural Engineers. I have no idea whether it's any good...

[Meantime]

3 hours ago, Regulo said:

They've left out the hose drop opening. Probably to make it all symmetrical to the eye.

Kind of correct. In my first picture in this thread it is there, but behind the tree. This grab from Google street maps shows it clearer in its new location. I'm assuming the railings where reassembled in sections and no one paid any attention to the order they were in originally?