Somerset Bridge, Bermuda
Somerset Bridge is a small bridge in Bermuda connecting Somerset Island with the mainland in the western parish of Sandys, Somerset Bridge is reputedly the smallest working drawbridge in the world. It crosses a small channel connecting the Great Sound with Ely's Harbour.
The bridge is mentioned in the acts of Bermuda's first parliament, held in St. George's on 1 August 1620. Bridges were to be constructed at Somerset, the Flatts, and Coney Island. Additionally, the road from Somerset to Warwick was to be improved, and extended to Castle Point.[1] The bridge appears on a 1624 map of Bermuda.[2]
The bridge is opened by hand, creating a 32-inch gap that allows the passage of a sailboat's mast. The drawbridge is depicted on a Bermudian banknote.[3]
Notes[]
Coordinates: 32°16.713′N 64°52.593′W / 32.278550°N 64.876550°W
- Bridges in Bermuda
- Bridges completed in 1620
- Sandys Parish
- 1620 establishments in the British Empire
- Bascule bridges
- North American building and structure stubs
- Bermuda stubs