Bridge · England · Restored

Mathematical Bridge

The Mathematical Bridge is an 18th-century wooden footbridge spanning the River Cam at Queens' College, Cambridge. Designed by William Etheridge and built in 1749, its curved form is made entirely from straight timbers arranged in tangent-and-radial trussing. It remains a pedestrian link between college courts and is a Grade II listed structure.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1749

Its prime

1749

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1749

What Mathematical Bridge looked like in its prime.

Single-span wooden footbridge whose apparent curved arch is formed from a lattice of straight pale oak timbers arranged as tangent-and-radial trusses. Low timber parapets with criss-cross balustrades rise from robust stone abutments tied into a red-brick college facade at one end. The span is narrow and pedestrian-scaled, sitting low over the River Cam with clear reflections in the water and tree-lined banks framing both approaches.

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6 places to explore in 1749.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Mathematical Bridge, the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

South riverside approach, full-span viewOn the deck, mid-spanUnderside from a boat beneath the archConnection to Queens' College, east abutmentClose-up of timber joints and fasteningsDownstream view along the Cam

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