Tickle Cock Bridge

In 2004, DSDHA won first prize to develop a new urban landscape and public space at Tickle Cock Bridge in Castleford, West Yorkshire. The commission was part of the Castleford Project; an initiative to support the regeneration of the former mining town as part of a major new Channel 4 Television series.

The underpass acts as the main pedestrian gateway into the town for over 10,000 people a day. Even though well-used, the place was run down and made an uninspiring entrance into the declining town centre. After public consultation, DSDHA initiated radical improvements to the derelict underpass and, working in collaboration with artist Martin Richman, introduced new lighting and a flock lining to the concrete structure. A local historian unearthed anecdotes about the about the cherished relationships that grew out of late-night assignations nearby, which explained the bridge’s popular name of ‘Tickle Cock Bridge’. Victorian prudery had renamed as ‘Tittle Cott Bridge’, but local residents used the redevelopment to reclaim its original title.

The existing 1890s underpass was completely rebuilt and now includes a multi-facetted and generous shelter with room for people to rest, a new public space and landscaping. The project challenges pre-conceptions about how the less significant places in our towns deserve well designed infrastructure to compliment the more prominent projects that regeneration attracts. Here, everyday life is improved for thousands at an intimate and personal level, working in tandem with the new town square and market place improvements.

Description by architects