This week marks an impressive 150 years since Nottingham's iconic Trent Bridge was completed.
The glorious gate to the city has seen royal tours, the Olympic torch, survived great floods, and one great frost over the last century.
The bridge opened to the public after three years of construction on July 25, in 1871.
The total costs of Nottingham's popular landmark reached £36,000 and replaced the older structure that was demolished.
History enthusiasts would be pleased to know that remains of the original bridge are still visible today, in the middle of the traffic island outside County Hall on the south side of the river.
In all the time since, the bridge has seen just one major change, when it was widened in 1926.
Now, the grade II listed bridge carries nearly 50,000 vehicle journeys every day, and on the rare occasion a number of sheep, when Honorary Freemen of the City exercise their right to do so.
The bridge has been party to a number of historic occasions.
Thousands lined the bridge in 1977 to see Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip make the crossing during HRH’s Silver Jubilee Tour.
More recently crowds gathered to watch the Olympic Torch Relay enter the city in 2012.
Spanning the border of city and county, both councils are responsible for maintaining the bridge structure.
Councillor Rosemary Healy, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “People often think the bridge is older, as there has been a bridge on the site since around 924AD.
"In fact the cricket ground actually pre-dates the current structure, and is named after the earlier bridge – a name known around the world among cricket fans.
“Trent Bridge is undoubtedly one of the key gateways to the city.
"It’s been beautifully preserved and maintained, and is a well-recognised landmark.
"It provides a stunning backdrop to important events such as the Riverside Festival, and to anyone spending time on Victoria Embankment, while thousands of sports fans have used it for generations to get to and from games at the nearby venues.
“Just last year we carried out essential maintenance to paint all steel and cast-iron part of the bridge, along with some repairs, to keep the bridge in top condition, providing ongoing resistance to corrosion and degradation to the structure, protecting and enhancing the bridge for many more years to come.”
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Transport and Environment committee said: “Trent Bridge is certainly an iconic local landmark but is equally important as a key economic corridor.
"It’s vital that we regularly maintain and look after this important asset so it will last for many more years to come.
“I’d like to pay tribute to the local borough Civil Engineer, Marriot Ogle Tarbotton, who designed the 1871 bridge I’m sure he would be very proud to see us celebrating its 150th anniversary."
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