Fatfield Bridge – A Crossing With Opinions Attached

You wouldn’t think a bridge could get you into that much trouble — but call this one the wrong name and you’ll soon find out how passionate Wearside can be. I made the mistake of trusting the Ordnance Survey and called it Penshaw Bridge… and let’s just say I was enthusiastically educated by the local keyboard militia. If I slip up again, I half-expect to wake up with a horse’s head in my bed. So, for the record — and for my own personal safety — this is Fatfield Bridge. Built in 1890 by Sunderland’s borough engineer T.W. Page, it replaced an older wooden crossing and quickly became one of the most modern iron bridges on the River Wear. It linked Washington, Fatfield and Shiney Row to the farms and collieries on the opposite bank, carrying everything from coal carts to early motorcars across its span.

Capturing it properly, humour aside, you realise just how important this bridge has been to the area. It sits in the shadow of Penshaw Monument, which probably doesn’t help the naming confusion, and even today some maps haven’t caught up with local opinion — but the people who live here know exactly what it’s called. Standing by the river, watching the reflections roll under it, it feels like one of those solid, dependable pieces of Wearside history that rarely gets talked about but has quietly served generations. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned… it’s best not to argue with the locals about it.