Bridging The Tamar – Tamar Bridge Visitor and Learning Centre

Win a trip up the towers of the Tamar Bridge. A rare opportunity to climb the iconic Tamar Bridge towers is being offered to mark the imminent opening of a new Visitor and Learning Centre. A handful of lucky visitors will be able to climb the towers and experience the stunning panoramic views over the river when the new ‘Bridging the Tamar’ Visitor and Learning Centre formally opens on 21 June.

There are two opportunities to gain a place on the tour of the towers: applying for a place via an open ballot or entering an image in a special photography competition:

• Entries for the ballot need to be submitted at www.bridgingthetamar.org.uk before 31 May.
• Entries for the photographic competition, which will be independently judged by the Saltash and District Camera Club, also need to be submitted at www.bridgingthetamar.org.uk before 31 May. Judges will be looking for a photo which captures the Tamar Bridge or the Royal Albert Bridge and will reflect the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) theme which runs through the Centre.

The new interactive exhibition space in the Visitor and Learning Centre tells the story of the bridges and celebrates their engineering legacy. The Centre will offer a range of workshops for schools and provide guided tours for the public. The Visitor and Learning Centre will be open free of charge, daily to the public, from 10am until 4pm and full details can be found at www.bridgingthetamar.org.uk.

The official opening will coincide with the beginning of the national Explore Engineering Weekend, which includes International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June.

The General Manager of the Tamar Crossings David List said, “The bridges have played a historic role in linking Devon and Cornwall and our new Visitor and Learning Centre will reflect this heritage. Very few people are normally permitted to climb the towers and so we decided to offer this virtually unique experience to help mark the opening of the Centre.”

The Centre has been funded largely by a £272,700 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee providing the remaining 25 per cent of the cost.