The Humber Bridge is one of the engineering wonders of Britain — a single soaring span of 1,410 metres that was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1981, and held the title for 17 years. Its towers stand taller than St Paul’s Cathedral, its cables could wrap the Earth’s equator, and best of all: walking or cycling across this Grade I listed giant, high above the vast brown sweep of the Humber, is completely free.
Walking the Bridge
Footways and cycleways run along both sides of the bridge, reached by steps near the toll plaza at Hessle, and the walk to the middle and back is an exhilarating hour well spent — the estuary stretching to the horizon, ships sliding beneath your feet, and the deck humming gently with traffic. Cross the full mile-and-a-third to Lincolnshire and you can even say you’ve walked between two counties above one of Britain’s greatest rivers.
Country Parks on Both Banks
On the Yorkshire side, Humber Bridge Country Park at Hessle — known locally as Little Switzerland — fills a dramatic old chalk quarry with wooded cliff trails, sculpture and carved waymarkers, dropping to a foreshore beach beneath the bridge where the historic Black Mill and a pub make a perfect finish. Across the water at Barton-upon-Humber, Waters’ Edge Country Park and the reedbeds of Far Ings nature reserve offer wildlife-rich walks and the classic full-frontal view of the span. Photographers: sunset from either foreshore is spectacular.
Visiting the Humber Bridge
The bridge is just west of Hull, with car parks at the Hessle viewing area and country park (Hessle station is a short walk, and the crossing is free on foot or by bike at any time — cars pay a modest toll). It makes a bracing half-day paired with Hull’s superb aquarium The Deep, ten minutes away, or with the glorious Gothic Beverley Minster just up the road.
Plan Your Visit
Crossing information, tolls and visitor details are on the official Humber Bridge website.
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