World’s longest interlocking brick bridge, constructed by BRICKLIVE, coming to Rochester Cathedral
Published: 16:50, 11 July 2022
Updated: 16:52, 11 July 2022
The world’s longest interlocking brick bridge is coming to Kent along with the return of a cathedral mini golf course.
More than 200,000 bricks have been clicked together to form the centrepiece of the summer activities at Rochester Cathedral.
The All About Bridges event will take place in the nave this August, while a mini golf course, similar to the one that was set up inside the cathedral in 2019, will be in the gardens.
This nine-hole course introduces different bridge types to participants, with information panels explaining their construction and where real-world examples of each bridge can be seen.
It was hugely popular with visitors in 2019 but sparked a fierce debate with some people are deeming it an "inappropriate" and "embarrassing" way to treat a place of worship.
This time around, the course, which will need to be weather-proofed, will be outside to allow the brick bridge to be set up inside the historic building.
All of the free of charge family activities at the cathedral this summer have been organised by the Rochester Bridge Trust.
Bridge clerk Sue Threader, chief executive of the Rochester Bridge Trust, said: “This free summer activity is designed to engage children, families and others with civil engineering in an open, easily accessible place for the community.
"We hope that learning through play and experiencing the scale model will encourage visitors to think about the impact of bridges and the challenges of construction.
“From previous experience we know that hosting a fun activity can encourage whole families to engage with engineering. This is important for breaking down stereotypes and helping children to approach science and engineering with an open mind so they want to find out more.”
The world record breaking bridge was constructed by BRICKLIVE, having been created for the Institution of Civil Engineers. It will be on display from August 1 to 29.
There will be selection of hands-on bridge building activities available in the Nave, with additional bookable activities aimed at seven-plus-year-olds and toddler storytelling available on certain days.
The model bridge and adventure golf are open to all, free of charge.
Click here for more information about the bookable activities.
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Jenni Horn