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Pero's Bridge
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Pero's Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 51°27′00″N 2°35′52″W / 51.4501°N 2.5979°W |
| Carries | Pedestrian |
| Crosses | St Augustine's Reach in Bristol Harbour |
| Locale | Bristol, England |
| Maintained by | Bristol City Council |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | bascule bridge |
| Longest span | 11 m (36 ft) |
| 3.3 m (11 ft) | |
| History | |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Closed | August 2026 (Temporarily) |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Pero's Bridge | |
Pero's Bridge (grid reference ST585726) is a pedestrian bascule bridge that spans St Augustine's Reach in Bristol Harbour, Bristol, England. It links Queen Square and Millennium Square.
Structure
The bridge is composed of three spans; the two outer ones are fixed and the central section can be raised to provide a navigation channel in the harbour. The most distinctive features of the bridge are the pair of horn-shaped sculptures which act as counterweights for the lifting section, leading it to be commonly known as the Horned Bridge or Shrek's Bridge as the counterweights resemble the ears of the animated star of the eponymous film.
Pero
The bridge is named after the Pero Jones who lived from around 1753 to 1798, arriving in Bristol from the Caribbean Island of Nevis in 1783. He was enslaved by merchant John Pinney (1740–1818) who lived at 7 Great George Street.[1][2] Pinney also brought his wife's maid with him, Frances Coker, who had also been born a slave, but Pinney had freed her in 1778.[3]
History
The bridge was designed by the Irish artist Eilis O'Connell, in conjunction with Ove Arup & Partners engineers.[4] It was formally opened in 1999 by Paul Boateng MP, then a Home Office minister.[5] The name of the bridge was attacked by then Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Williams. He condemned the decision as "gesture politics", instead wanting a statue or permanent memorial to remember Bristol's role in the slave trade.[6] Eilis O'Connell commented "The council can call it what they want, but Pero's Bridge sounds a bit political."[7] Hundreds of people now attach padlocks to the bridge as a sign of affection for each other.[8]
For four days in June 2020, the Statue of Edward Colston, a Bristolian slave trader, lay at the bottom of the harbour directly south of the bridge after being toppled from its plinth by protestors during the George Floyd protests. It was then retrieved by the council and put in storage. It now resides as a permanent feature in Bristol's M-Shed museum shown now lying instead of standing, with all original protest graffiti maintained.[9]
In July 2025 an inspection found "major structural issues" with the bridge, which lead to the introduction of a 1 tonne weight limit and a "no lift notice" being placed on the bridge. As of September 2025 these restrictions were still in place, with Bristol City Council seeking to re-allocate £200,000 of funds to repairing the bridge[10] in addition to removing nearly 3 tonnes of "love locks" from the bridge.[11]
During a routine test of the bridge's opening mechanism on the morning of 13 August 2026,[12] the bridge suffered a structural malfunction, causing the central section of the bridge to drop suddenly and become misaligned with the rest of the bridge. As a result of the incident, the bridge has been closed until further notice for both pedestrians and boats,[13] with Bristol Ferry Boats having to close the landing at the Cascade Steps at the end of St Augustine's Reach.[14]
Dimensions
The length of the lifting span is 11 metres (36 ft) and a 9-metre (30 ft) navigation channel is provided.[15]
References
- ↑ "Pero's Bridge". History Footsteps. Archived from the original on 11 August 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
- ↑ "},"archive-date":{"wt":"13 August 2006"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwjA"/>"Bristol's Georgian House Museum". Bristol City Council. Archived from the original on 13 August 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
- ↑ Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004), "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. ref:odnb/73299, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/73299, retrieved 9 February 2023
- ↑ "Eilis O Connell Biography". Eilis O Connel sculptor. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ↑ Nicks, Gary (17 March 1999). "Bridge to a future of racial harmony". Western Daily Press. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ↑ Booth, Martin (14 June 2020). "THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF PERO'S BRIDGE". Bristol 24/7. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ↑ Onions, Ian (17 November 1998). "Slave Bridge Attack; New name a snub to city benefactor" (subscription required). Bristol Evening Post. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ↑ "Hundreds of 'love locks' to be removed from bridge". BBC. 26 June 2025. Archived from the original on 26 August 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Edward Colston statue pulled out of Bristol Harbour". BBC News. 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ↑ "Restrictions on bridge that needs urgent repairs". BBC. 16 September 2025. Archived from the original on 19 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ "Protecting the safety of Pero's bridge". Bristol City Council. Bristol City Council. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Booth, Martin (13 August 2026). "Pero's Bridge closed due to major structural fault". Bristol24/7. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ Edwards, Matty (13 August 2026). "Major bridge closed after dramatic malfunction". BBC News. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "Popular Bristol bridge inaccessible due to apparent structural issue". ITV News. 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "Pero's Bridge, Bristol, UK". Arup. Archived from the original on 26 August 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
Bibliography
Eickelmann, Christine; David Small (2004). PERO: The Life of a Slave in Eighteenth-Century Bristol. Redcliffe Press Ltd. ISBN 1-904537-03-0.
External links
