Newport Meadow Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Approach from the Newport Bridge and park at N54 34335 W001 16.111, you are almost under the A19
Newport Meadow is on the site of the old Civic Amenities Incinerator, now happily no more. Nature has started to heal the scared landscape of the rubbish dump and will soon become a wild life haven. Follow the footpath ‘boardwalk’, you can see the top of Newport Bridge over the trees and hear the birds singing over the drone of the traffic on the A19 behind you.
Newport Bridge spans the River Tees upriver of the Famous Transporter Bridge, built by Dorman Long, Middlesbrough and was opened by the Duke of York in February 1934. It was England's first vertical lifting bridge, with a lifting span of 270 feet and 66 feet in length. It is constructed from 8000 tons of Teesside steel and 28,000 tons of concrete with towers 170 feet high. The electrically operated lifting mechanism allowed the road to be lifted 100 feet in one and a half minutes by means of ropes passing through sheaves in the four corner towers.
In the 1940s and early 1950s it was raised almost every day but as fewer ships needed to sail up to Stockton its usage declined, and on the 18th November in 1990 it was ceremoniously raised and lowered for the last time. The lifting span was then bolted down.
It still serves as a bridge and carries considerable traffic even though the A19 flyover is just a few hundred yards further upriver. It provides a useful alternative crossing whenever work is being carried out on the A19 flyover or whenever an accident temporarily closes that crossing
The cache has the usual bits 'n' bobs ... may make a usefull TB hotel spot as it's close to the A19 trunk road.
"Please note....this site was used by the local council Incinerator and there is a lot of rubbish floating around....maybe the visitors could help the area out by collecting a bag of rubbish before you leave"
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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