About the River Tyne

1. About the River Tyne By George

2. Contents • History of the River Tyne • The seven bridges • The newest bridge • Nature at the Tyne today

3. History of the River Tyne • The River Tyne is 200 miles long • The Romans built the first bridge over the Tyne in AD 120 • This bridge was named Pons Aelius after the Emperor Hadrian • The Tyne was known for shipbuilding and by 1800 it was said to be the third largest producer of ships in Britain • The River Tyne is two rivers, the South Tyne and the North Tyne meet together to make the big River Tyne A tram crossing the Tyne Bridge A Swan Hunter ship launched on the Tyne Building the Tyne Bridge

4. The Seven Bridges There are seven bridges over the River Tyne, they are; King Edward and Redheugh Bridge The Millennium Bridge The Tyne Bridge The Swing Bridge and The High Level Bridge Queen Elizabeth Metro Bridge

5. The Newest Bridge • The newest bridge is the millennium bridge • It was built on 19,000 tonnes of concrete • The bridge is nicknamed ‘the blinking eye’ • It rises 50 metres above the river level and the foundations go down 30 metres to anchor it to the riverbed • The millennium bridge can survive a crash with a 4,000 tonne ship going at four knots (one knot is one mile on the sea)

6. Nature at the Tyne Today • The River Tyne is now much cleaner than it used to be • It has a healthy ecosystem for animals and birds to live in • Creatures who live on the banks of the Tyne include: • Kingfishers • Kittiwakes • Ospreys • Otters • Water voles • The River Tyne is the best salmon river in England and Wales