Free guided talks Tues, Thurs & Sat at 11am
About
The history of Bridging the Tamar
Our story
The Visitor and Learning Centre interprets the heritage of both the 20th century Tamar Bridge and Brunel’s iconic 19th century Royal Albert Bridge.
A grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) made the project possible, with the remainder being funded by the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee.
Established to celebrate the engineering legacy of the Tamar Estuary’s historic bridges, the Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre opened in 2019.
The interactive exhibition space and a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) learning and events programme brings the bridges to life for school children, teachers, lifelong learners, locals and tourists alike.
Visitors can also find out more about how Tamar Crossings manages and monitors the road bridge, the Saltash Tunnel and the tolling system in order to keep traffic moving smoothly and provide safe, reliable and efficient crossings of the river.
Our impact
An accredited social value evaluation tool commonly used by local authorities found that for every £1 invested by Tamar Crossings in the Visitor Centre in 2023/24, the Visitor Centre provided a social return of nearly £4 through engagement with local community groups and school children.
Our 23/24 Impact Report provides information about our activities and feedback from users.
The Centre delivers the following outcomes:
- Reduced social isolation for community members
- Young people supported to do well in education
- Improved and supported visitor economy (tourism)
- Increased volunteering and community participation
- Increased participation in recreation
- Improved community health
- Improved access to community facilities and services
- Improved mental health
The tool uses the internationally recognised Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations.
The outcomes are linked to: