Modern art spans the riverbanks
By rights the Millennium Bridge should be called the Millennium Bridge Plus One. They did plan to install it during the year 2000, but every so often York’s rivers, mavericks that they are, tire of being constrained between banks and choose to explore the rest of the city. When there are major floods – as there were in 2000 – it is fairly inadvisable to try and install a new bridge, and so its opening was delayed to April 2001.
Most Yorkies think it was worth the wait. A competition was held to design the bridge and the winning entry, by Whitby Bird and Partners (now part of Ramboll), has stood the test of time. All these years later, the sight of the sunlight glinting off that tilted arch – designed to resemble a bicycle wheel – still lifts the heart.
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Address River Ouse, Rowntree Park, York | Public Transport You can reach the bridge from Butcher Terrace on one side or Hospital Fields Road on the other | Tip With traffic-free cycle lanes, this area is a great place to take the whole family cycling.
Two aspects make this bridge stand out from others that cross the Ouse. The first is its unashamed modernism: there’s not a honey-coloured stone or ornately decorated pier in sight. Second, this is York’s social bridge. Built for pedestrians and cyclists rather than anything with an engine, and fitted with seating along the main span of the bridge, it is a meeting spot as much as crossing place. On warm days, the riverbanks on either side are busy with people picnicking, cycling, and playing Frisbee.
The bridge links Rowntree Park with New Walk. The latter is a riverside promenade laid out in 1730, and the trees that offer shade on a summer’s day would have been planted between that date and 1824. One of the best free afternoons in York involves a stroll starting at the city centre, continuing along New Walk, over the Millennium Bridge, and into Rowntree Park. On your way you’ll find another unusual river feature – the Blue Bridge, built in 1929 to replace a wooden one on the same spot. Disappointingly, it no longer sports a pair of Crimean war cannons – they were removed and melted down as part of the Second World War effort.
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