Cambridge Easter egg
The Mathematical Bridge, Cambridge, and the Isaac Newton myth
Did Isaac Newton build this bridge without bolts?
The story
The wooden Mathematical Bridge crosses the river at Queens' College. Ask around and someone will tell you Isaac Newton built it without a single nut or bolt.
It isn't true. Newton died in 1727. The bridge was designed by William Etheridge and built by James Essex in 1749, more than 20 years later.
The story usually goes on: students took it apart and couldn't put it back without bolts. That isn't true either. It has been rebuilt twice to the same design, in 1866 and 1905.
The real cleverness is in the timbers. Straight beams are set at careful angles so together they make a curve. That's where the mathematical name comes from.
Look out for
The wooden bridge over the river from Silver Street bridge, or from a punt.
Questions
Did Isaac Newton build the Mathematical Bridge?
Where is the best place to see the Mathematical Bridge?
Where to find it
Queens' College, seen from Silver Street bridge, Silver Street, Cambridge
Free to see from the street, at any time.
Good to know
Silver Street bridge gives you a clear, free view. Punts from Mill Lane pass right underneath it.
Nearby with your City Pass
- Scudamore's Punting, 45-minute shared punt tour along the Backs
- Fitzbillies, free Chelsea bun with any hot drink
More Easter eggs nearby
- The Corpus Clock, about 3 minutes' walk
- The Eagle's RAF ceiling, about 4 minutes' walk
- Cambridgeshire's oldest building, about 4 minutes' walk
Let the app find them for you
The City Pass app tells you when you walk past an Easter egg. £50 for the day, with entry to 9 places included.