Somerset Bridge

Somerset Bridge carries the road between Somerset Island and the rest of Sandys over a narrow channel, and it has a hinged section in the middle just wide enough to let a sailboat's mast through, opened by hand with a plank lifted out. The gap is around forty-five centimetres, and it is generally described as the smallest working drawbridge in the world. The current bridge dates from the eighteenth century in origin with later rebuilding.

What you actually see

• The opening span - a hand-lifted section around forty-five centimetres wide.
• The channel - the narrow cut between Somerset Island and Sandys.
• The eighteenth-century origin - the bridge's date, with later rebuilding.
• The Railway Trail crossing - the old line passing beside the bridge.

When to go

Year round; the bridge is a road crossing and always accessible. Sailboats use the gap occasionally rather than on a schedule. Hurricane season runs June to November.

Honest expectations

The opening is not scheduled and seeing it used is a matter of luck. It is a small bridge and the visit is a photograph. There is nowhere much to park.

Nearby

Somerset Village is north, and Fort Scaur is nearby.