Kingsferry Bridge

The Kingsferry Bridge may look nothing special, especially in the shadow of the newer crossing, but it's always been a favourite place of mine. My childhood holidays, two weeks every year, were spent at Leysdown-on-Sea and crossing this bridge still brings up some of the long ago childhood excitement. Passing over this bridge meant the endless driving was nearly over and we were almost on holiday.

Back then it was always crowded with vehicles, especially when it opened to allow a ship to pass through, but it's very quiet these days. I only saw a few cars.

Maybe it doesn't deserve five stars on its own merits - it's interesting, but no great feat of engineering - but I can't fault it for the wonder of my own nostalgia.

After driving over the bridges for many years, we decided to take a walk underneath them! My daughter loved exploring! Next time we'll probably walk further along the saxon shore way... wearing wellies!

Not at all boat friendly! Phoned about 9am to see if bridge was operating. Told no planned issues. On arrival a couple of hours later we had to wait for an inspection as the rails were at risk of expansion. Result, bridge cannot lift due to temperatures. Shame the operator this morning hadn’t looked at the weather forecast and told us there was a risk this could occur and we would have revised our plans.

Amazing how bridges in the Netherlands work in hot weather!

I live in a little village not far from there and is the main route to get onto the Isle of Sheppey which I use to visit family who live there.

On 20 April 1960, it was officially opened by the Duchess of Kent
Still opening and working to this day
Kingsferry Bridge has been raised over 100,000 times during its lifetime; each lift has to be recorded.
The bridge is a combined road and railway vertical-lift bridge. It carries a 24-foot (7.3m) wide two-lane road, a 6-foot (1.8m) wide footpath and a single-track electrified railway line. Although the railway operates by electrified third rail, there is no electrification over the moving section of the bridge. To cross the bridge, electric trains coast across the gap in the electrification.

It's a bridge and gets you over the water dry....

The actual bridge area is nothing special. On a hot day its packed with jet skis in a small area and the tiny beach area filled to capacity. It does however give you views up and down the Swale if you into boats and stuff. Cross the bridge to Sheppey for the Nature reserve which is much more worth while!

i love this bridge. We have to take this one as the sheppey crossing is too tall for my mother; who is petrified of heights; and i must say it is a wonderful piece of engineering. this bridge has held me (970lbs), my 780lb father, and my 876lb mother, as well as our 3-tonne car countless times, & that's not even counting the other cars & people on the bridge at the same time!