This Unique Curling Bridge (officially known as Rolling Bridge) is located at Paddington Basin on the Grand Union Canal. It is the only bridge of its kind in the World.

Built in 2004, it is meant for pedestrians and every Friday at noon it is curled into an octagonal circle to allow passage of the boats. When fully opened, the bridge becomes a flat 12.9 metres long walkway spanning the 8.5 metres wide canal. It has eight sections hinged at the walkway level and takes about 180 seconds to open.

The bridge was designed by Thomas Heatherwick, who in 2006 won the "British Designer of the Year" award for this unique bridge.


Image from Panoramio is by cerea7681


Image from Panoramio is by trio


Image from Panoramio is by Andrew Royle
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Info source: Wikipedia and South East London Meccano Club. (Good source of technical information as well as a Mechano Model of Bridge.)

Nice post CJM, I only live about a mile away from that bridge, and I'd never even heard of it.

Thanks Groovy for the encouragement.

I had read about it a couple of years ago and presumed that it was already placemarked. I wanted to include it in my Travelogue and to my surprise I noticed that it has not been placemarked, though Clorius had made a Post about it in F&G. I checked with him and after getting his clearance I have made the post.

Groovy - you'll have to go and check it out for us - get someone to take a photo of you on it, it'll add great meaning to CJM's post!!!

Nice find Curious - as always

I was already thinking about that BDJ! If it's nice out, I'll go on Sunday.

Edit. Oh no, I've just checked the weather forecast, and it's heavy rain on Sunday.

Groovy - It is curled on Fridays only at 12 noon, so plan your trip accordigly.

Also have a look at Rolling Bridge Official Site

I wish I could CJM, but I'm at work (alledgelly) on Fridays.

Besides, how can I stand on it when it's curled up? I'll be arrested for vandalism, or even worse, I may fall into the canal!

Ooops sorry - Being retired I forgot that people work also - for me all days are no work days!


The way the bridge is designed I am sure you will not fall in the water but you will definitely be en-caged!

Following in the footsteps of all the great explorers before me, Scott, Columbus, Amundsen, Cook etc I braved the elements and sub-zero temperatures (ok, it was 7�C ), to traverse a massive tract of land (about a mile on the No 15 bus ), to gain entry into deepest, darkest Paddington Basin, all in the name of our great GEC.

As Marie and I got off the bus, this was the sight that greeted us.


Nice bridge, but not what we were looking for.


Here's a nice canal boat from the aforementioned bridge.*

Now, instead of heading east, we, of course, headed west (Marie's fault, not mine) in search of our famous Rolling Bridge



Interesting name, but still the bridge eluded me



Pleasantly strolling along we stumbled into Little Venice!


Heading back east again towards Paddington Basin. Where on earth is this bridge?


This is the original bridge at the beginning. I decided to go under it.


Recognising the area from CJM's pictures, to my horror the bridge was gone!


All that is left is a blue barrier, which you can see in the second photo behind the blue boat.



This ugly hole is all that is here now.


Oh well, I guess most great adventures end in miserable failure.

We went to a nearby information centre and asked about the bridges' fate. Apparently there was a problem with the arms of the bridge and it was removed 3 months ago for repairs. The man at the info centre said it should be back in around a months time.

I've got more pictures, and a couple, of the nearby Helix bridge, but at the moment, we can only upload 10 photo's at a time.

Groovy, your great sacrifice in the name of adventure and all that makes Google Earth THE best place on earth, will be forever grateful to you for going where no other Google Earther has gone before......the tourist information centre!!

Great photos, but what a shame that the bridge was gone - oh well, you'll just have to go back in a months' time and try again

btw, is that you in the photo? A moderator/nosy person person has to know these things!


Please post the other photos in another post though - we won't accuse you of bumping!!