Sunset Over the Transporter Bridge

The Transporter Bridge is one of the great survivors of Britain’s industrial age — a rare piece of engineering built to solve a very practical problem. Opened in 1911, it allowed people, carts and later cars to cross the Tees without hindering the constant flow of ships heading to and from Middlesbrough’s booming docks and steelworks. Rather than building a tall, steep bridge that horses would struggle with, engineers opted for this unusual solution: a gondola suspended beneath a vast steel frame, gliding across the river in minutes.

From above, the bridge tells a different story. The lattice of steel stretches out across the Tees, connecting banks shaped by over a century of industry. The warehouses, shipyards and quaysides still echo with that heritage, and the river below reflects the last light of the day like molten metal. Capturing it at sunset brings everything together — the history, the engineering, the drama of the sky. It’s one of those moments where Teesside feels both gritty and beautiful at the same time.