Northern Spire Bridge with the Queen Alexandra Bridge Behind

Some views speak in chapters, and the sight of the Northern Spire Bridge with the Queen Alexandra Bridge behind is one of them. Sunderland’s river crossings are more than ways to get from A to B — they’re markers of the city’s shifting identity and the industries that shaped it.

The Queen Alexandra Bridge, completed in 1909, was once one of the heaviest bridges in the world. Built to carry both road and rail, it was a triumph of the Wear’s industrial golden age, linking shipyards, collieries and communities that lived by the clock of industry. Its massive lattice steelwork still has that unmistakable Edwardian engineering presence — practical, tough, and designed to last.

Fast forward more than a century and the Northern Spire Bridge, opened in 2018, offers a completely different vision. Its soaring A-frame pylon and sweeping cables are a celebration of modern Sunderland — confident, forward-facing and proud of its place in the region. From the ground it’s striking. From above, it becomes a sculptural line drawing across the river, catching the light differently every single day.

Together, the two crossings frame a story of change. They show the Wear’s past and future in a single glance — the graft-built heritage that powered a city, and the new infrastructure pointing towards regeneration and growth. Capturing them from the air brings that contrast into sharp focus, and reminds you that Sunderland’s strength has always been in its ability to evolve while staying rooted in who it is.