Architecture/buildings

The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 metres (7,280 ft) single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the seventh-longest of its type in the world. It spans the Humber (the estuary formed by the rivers Trent and Ouse) between Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank and Hessle on the north bank, connecting the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire – both of which were briefly in the short-lived non-metropolitan county of Humberside. The bridge itself can be seen for miles around and as far as Ottringham in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The Glory Hole in the City of Lincoln. The River Witham runs right through the centre of Lincoln, going through the 'Glory Hole' which is where the High Street crosses the river, with a medieval house built on the bridge (now a coffee shop). The Glory Hole is the name given by generations of boaters to the High Bridge in Lincoln. It has a narrow and crooked arch which sets a limit on the size of boats using the Witham and going from Brayford Pool, at the start of Foss Dyke, to Boston and the sea. Since the 14th Century the bridge has contributed to floods in Lincoln and after any heavy rain the bridge is virtually unnavigable, which may be why it got its name.

There has been a pier or jetty in Cromer since 1391. Letters granting the right to levy duties for repairs suggest that attempts at maintenance seem to have gone on until 1580. In 1582, Queen Elizabeth I granted the right to the inhabitants of Cromer to export wheat, barley and malt for the maintenance of their town and towards the rebuilding of the pier. The last wooden jetty was built in 1846 and, described as a plain wooden structure and was just 70 yards long. By night, it was regulated by several bylaws: for instance, smoking was only allowed after the hour of nine o'clock when ladies would be expected to have retired for the evening. Gales later damaged the jetty again so much that it had to be dismantled and Cromer was left without a pier. This brief spell of emptiness spurred the 'pier commissioners' to consider a more fashionable structure, and it was in 1901 that the new pier opened. There is a new addition to the pier, the lifeboat station, which was relocated, and a new extension built at the end of the pier.

The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, a landmark of the Pacific Northwest, and a symbol of Seattle. Built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors, nearly 20,000 people a day used its elevators. Once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River,[7] it is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9,550 tons. It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour (89 m/s) and earthquakes of up to 9.1 magnitude,[8] as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. It also has 25 lightning rods.

HFF everyone !!!

Taken from the top of Calton Hill, Edinburgh Geologically, the Firth of Forth is a fjord, formed by the Forth Glacier in the last glacial period. The firth is important for nature conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Firth of Forth Islands SPA (Special Protection Area) is host to over 90,000 breeding seabirds every year. There is a bird observatory on the Isle of May. In 2008, a controversial bid to allow oil transfer between ships in the firth was refused by Forth Ports. A company named SPT Marine Services had asked permission to transfer 7.8 million tonnes of crude oil per year between tankers. The proposals had met with determined opposition from conservation groups.

With over 2,050 panes of glass fitted into place and 15,500 tonnes of concrete poured, the stunning Corby Cube was finally opened to the public in November 2010. Without even being completed the building had already gathered international acclaim by being runner-up in the prestigious LEAF Awards for the Best Public Building Design of the Year and has a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ - the only theatre in the UK to receive this level. Now architects, Hawkins\Brown, are confident that it can continue its success as they plan to put in a submission for the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) – the UK’s most prestigious architecture award scheme. Two and a half years and £30 million later, the striking structure has changed Corby’s skyline for ever. The clever design of the building integrates public services with recreation spaces and the stylish glass cladding exterior is a stunning addition to the Parkland Gateway public space. Arts and culture are at the heart of Corby Cube and the Corby Cube represents the regeneration of the town. Included in the Cube are a state of the art theatre, (•445-seat walnut-clad theatre with curved retractable seating system providing the opportunity for flexible flat floor auditorium), library, council offices, registry office, restaurant. It also has a terraced roof garden. (update...still no roof garden)

The mansion was nearly demolished in 1949, to make way for redevelopment; when the last surviving relatives of William Carson moved to San Francisco, leaving the mansion empty. Fortunately a buyer was found, and it was purchased in 1950 to be used as a private club. Now known as the Ingomar Club.

Texture by Picmonkey •This imposing viaduct, located in the north of Northamptonshire, at the north-west corner of the village of Harringworth, spans the Welland Valley, and has a total length of three quarters of a mile. •It was completed in 1878 to carry the London and Midland Railway between Kettering and Manton. Over 2000 men were employed during the construction, and were housed with their families in huts, in a temporary settlement, named Cyprus. •The viaduct has 82 arches, each with a 40ft. (14 metres) span, and over 20 million bricks were used in its construction. •It remains in use today, and although the structure dominates the valley, it creates the impression of being in tune with its surroundings. •Though primarily used for goods traffic, passenger services occasionally use the viaduct at week-ends, while maintenance work is carried out on the main London to Leicester line.

Taken through hotel window. View in Lightbox ;-)

The church was first mentioned in a document of 1089, but it was probably built earlier still. A re-used Roman column holds up the chancel roof and is a reminder that the church was built near the site of Roman public buildings. In the 15th century it was extended westwards and a 36m spire was added.

The parish church of Rockingham village, St Leonard's Church is a low irregular structure consisting of a nave and chancel, with a memorial chapel to the Watson family. It stands on the hill between the Castle and the Village since the 13th Century The Church is forty-six feet long, and twenty-four feet broad. The Chancel, in length twenty-nine feet six inches and in breadth eighteen feet. The north Chancel, twenty-seven feet and a half in length, and twelve feet six inches broad. In this are two pieces of timber laid across the beams, on which hangs a small bell". The Church remained in this state until a wooden tower was built on the north side, in 1776, at the expense of Lady Sondes of Rockingham Castle. This wooden tower was taken down in 1838 at the cost of £2.2s to be replaced by Richard Watson in 1845, by a small bell-tower, with octagonal pyramid roof, the design being taken from one existing in a Church in Oxfordshire.