Pero's Bridge
title: "Pero's Bridge" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bascule-bridges-in-england", "bridges-in-bristol", "bristol-harbourside", "history-of-bristol", "tourist-attractions-in-bristol", "bridges-completed-in-1999", "pedestrian-bridges-in-england", "slavery-in-the-united-kingdom", "1999-establishments-in-england"] topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pero's_Bridge" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox bridge"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Pero's Bridge |
| image | Perosbridge.JPG |
| carries | Pedestrian |
| crosses | St Augustine's Reach in Bristol Harbour |
| locale | Bristol, England |
| maint | Bristol City Council |
| design | bascule bridge |
| mainspan | 11 m |
| clearance_below | 3.3 m |
| open | 1999 |
| coordinates | |
| :: |
|name=Pero's Bridge |image=Perosbridge.JPG |caption= |official_name= |carries=Pedestrian |crosses=St Augustine's Reach in Bristol Harbour |locale=Bristol, England |maint=Bristol City Council |id= |design=bascule bridge |mainspan=11 m |length= |width= |height= |clearance_above= |clearance_below=3.3 m |traffic= |open=1999 |closed= |toll= |map_cue= |map_image= |map_text= |map_width= |coordinates =
Pero's Bridge () is a pedestrian bascule bridge that spans St Augustine's Reach in Bristol Harbour, Bristol, England. It links Queen Square and Millennium Square.
Structure
The bridge is composed of three spans; the two outer ones are fixed and the central section can be raised to provide a navigation channel in the harbour. The most distinctive features of the bridge are the pair of horn-shaped sculptures which act as counterweights for the lifting section, leading it to be commonly known as the Horned Bridge or Shrek's Bridge as the counterweights resemble the ears of the animated star of the eponymous film.
Pero
The bridge is named after who lived from around 1753 to 1798, arriving in Bristol from the Caribbean Island of Nevis in 1783. He was enslaved by merchant John Pinney (1740–1818) who lived at 7 Great George Street. Pinney also brought his wife's maid with him, Frances Coker, who had also been born a slave, but Pinney had freed her in 1778.
History
The bridge was designed by the Irish artist Eilis O'Connell, in conjunction with Ove Arup & Partners engineers. It was formally opened in 1999 by Paul Boateng MP, then a Home Office minister. The name of the bridge was attacked by then Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Williams. He condemned the decision as "gesture politics", instead wanting a statue or permanent memorial to remember Bristol's role in the slave trade. Eilis O'Connell commented "The council can call it what they want, but Pero's Bridge sounds a bit political." Hundreds of people now attach padlocks to the bridge as a sign of affection to each other.
For four days in June 2020, the Statue of Edward Colston, a Bristolian slave trader, lay at the bottom of the harbour directly south of the bridge after being toppled from its plinth by protestors during the George Floyd protests. It was then retrieved by the council and put in storage. It now resides as a permanent feature in Bristol's M-Shed museum shown now lying instead of standing, with all original protest graffiti maintained.
In July 2025 an inspection found "major structural issues" with the bridge, which lead to the introduction of a 1 tonne weight limit and a "no lift notice" being placed on the bridge. As of September 2025 these restrictions were still in place, with Bristol City Council seeking to re-allocate £200,000 of funds to repairing the bridge in addition to removing nearly 3 tonnes of "love locks" from the bridge.
Dimensions
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Pero's_Bridge_2.jpg" caption="Close up of the horn-shaped counterweights"] ::
The length of the lifting span is 11 m and a 9 m navigation channel is provided.
References
Bibliography
References
- "Pero's Bridge". History Footsteps.
- "Bristol's Georgian House Museum". Bristol City Council.
- (2004-09-23). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford University Press.
- "Eilis O Connell Biography". Eilis O Connel sculptor.
- Nicks, Gary. (17 March 1999). "Bridge to a future of racial harmony". Western Daily Press.
- (14 June 2020). "THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF PERO'S BRIDGE". Bristol 24/7.
- Onions, Ian. (17 November 1998). "Slave Bridge Attack; New name a snub to city benefactor". Bristol Evening Post.
- (26 June 2025). "Hundreds of 'love locks' to be removed from bridge".
- (2020-06-11). "Edward Colston statue pulled out of Bristol Harbour". BBC News.
- (16 September 2025). "Restrictions on bridge that needs urgent repairs". BBC.
- "Protecting the safety of Pero's bridge". Bristol City Council.
- "Pero's Bridge, Bristol, UK". Arup.
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