The settlement of Bridgewa­ter was originally known as Green Point. The name it is now known by was due to the bridge (which was actually a causeway) crossing a shallow section of the waters of the River Derwent.

Construction began on the causeway in 1829. It was 1.3 km long and built by a gang of 200 convicts using nothing but wheelbarrows, shovels and picks. By the time it was completed, the convicts had shifted 2 million tonnes of sand, soil, stones and clay. That’s some hard yakka.

The causeway was completed in 1836. It didn’t cross the whole river so a ferry worked the deepest section of the Riv­er Derwent from 1829 –1849, until a bridge opened.

The current lift bridge was started in 1939, interrupted by the war, and completed in 1946.

The new Bridgewater Bridge is due to be completed by the end of 2024.