Under the Overpass: Farewell to 5 Bridges Skatepark

In the heart of Gateshead, under the rumble of the A167 flyover and its ceaseless flow of traffic, lay the iconic 5 Bridges Skatepark. This wasn’t some sleek, purpose-built facility – it was raw, spontaneous, scrappy. And for many of us, it was home.. This concrete abyss offered refuge when the heavens often opened and a quiet safe haven on sunnier days.

Bridges was more than just concrete it was the pulse of a DIY community and a melting pot for like-minded indivudals to express themsleves without boundries. This rough around the edges, unapologetic playground has been home to us since as far back as the late 70’s. Over the decades, it drew in skaters from all over the world, becoming a must-stop spot for any touring teams passing through the UK. A lot of us thought this concrete skate monolith would stand the test of time – indestructible, eternal but sadly all things must come to an end. Due to growing concerns over structural integrity Gatehead Council have decided it’s time for the flyover to come down and the Skatepark along with it.

5B’s has had it’s fair share of heavy hitters stop by over the years from inpromtu visits from a handful of ES riders to Blueprint, Nike, Enjoi and most notably Emerica doing Demo’s there.

It’s also had some of the UK’s Finest Lensmen shooting under the overpass

It’s strange to think that future generations will never get to grow up skating that imperfect floor, harsh steep bank and have the character building task of sweeping away the glass on a sunday morning but hopefully they find somewhere just as fruitful as Five Bridges was to us.