Past and present Bridge Wardens Scholars visited the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) at One Great George Street, Westminster, on Wednesday, 19 December.
Before a luncheon hosted by the Senior Warden, Junior Warden, and Bridge Clerk, the scholars were given a guided tour of the library, board room, lecture theatres, and the Great Hall. From Carol Morgan, ICE Archivist, they learned about the history of the civil engineering profession and particularly about those Presidents of the Institution who had worked on Rochester Bridge, including Thomas Telford, John Rennie, James Rendel, and William Cubitt.
Attending the event were Joshua Mudie, 2010-2012 scholar, now studying civil engineering at University of Bristol; Jessica Salisbury, 2010-2012 scholar, now working for Birse Rail in a gap year; and the current 2012-2014 Bridge Wardens Scholars, Helen Phillips from Bromley High School for Girls and Reece McAllister from Chatham Grammar School for Boys.
The Bridge Clerk Sue Threader, herself a civil engineer, said, “It was a great opportunity for the current Bridge Wardens Scholars to learn about the former scholars’ experiences in an inspiring setting for all engineers and engineering students.”
The Bridge Wardens Scholarships, awarded through the Arkwright Scholarships Trust, are given to outstanding local school students hoping to pursue careers in engineering.
Notes:
1. The Rochester Bridge Trust is a charitable trust that exists to maintain the old and new bridges at Rochester and serve the travelling public. It is the only surviving bridge trust still serving its original purpose, and it has served the people of Kent since 1399. The Trust also supports numerous community and education projects across historic Kent and Medway.
2. The Trust’s assets all derive from endowments of land and money in the 14th and 15th centuries and are carefully managed in order to provide an income to fund bridge maintenance and local charitable grants. The Trust receives no external funding and is regulated by the Charity Commission.
For more information:
The Rochester Bridge Trust
5 Esplanade
Rochester
Kent ME1 1QE
Tel: 01634 846706
Fax: 01634 840125