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Early release: Bridge Heights video (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-24 18:07:54
Imported:
2026-04

Content

Complaining about street signs and Stand-up Maths. Is there a more iconic duo?

In this case it is less about complaining and more about exploring how the metric vs imperial quirks of the UK, and subtly different instructions laid down by the Department for Transport, lead to seemingly conflicting unit conversions on the signs indicating the height of a bridge over a road.

Yeah. You heard me. YouTube gold.

Please do provide feedback and comments here, but for any big breakthroughs on the possible location of the Missing Sign: put the details in the main YouTube comments so everyone else can join in the hunt.

Files

What is up with UK bridge height signs?

Support the show filming, pre-order the download and get silly perks: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/standupmaths/getting-triggy-with-it/ Or you can just come and see me on tour in October: http://standupmaths.com/shows Adam's bridge height website with a complete list of signs that have been found: https://adamtownsend.com/heighthunt/ More about Adam Townsend: https://adamtownsend.com/ Yes, he did the maths for the coin combinations video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QafT9FgO7rw Thanks to Ayliean for tracking down the low bridge signs. Here is her channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UChwcAFGJZVE2hqAiZSFSyug As well as Ayliean MacDonald, thanks to Sophie Maclean, Abby Shum and Matt Watson for embracing the bridge-sign side mission while we were on tour. Much appreciation to Sam Hartburn for making the geogebra file. You can check it out here: https://www.geogebra.org/m/sbbmbrz5 Traffic Signs Manual, Chapter 4, Warning Signs, Department for Transport https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c41d683ed915d38b0437c2d/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-4.pdf Huge thanks to my Patreon supporters. They keep me well above my safety-rated height. https://www.patreon.com/standupmaths CORRECTIONS - Sort of. I showed a 13" 9' 4.3m sign (the one in Shrewsbury) which isn't technically possible, but yet it exists. I'll pin a comment about it if you wish to discuss. - Let me know if you spot anything else! Location Matt filming by Ayliean MacDonald, Sophie Maclean and Matt Parker Main filming and editing by Alex Genn-Bash Written and performed by Matt Parker With additional maths by Adam Townsend Produced by Nicole Jacobus Music by Howard Carter Design by Simon Wright and Adam Robinson MATT PARKER: Stand-up Mathematician Website: http://standupmaths.com/

Comments

SkaveRat

one way to help with the search could be to use openstreetmap data. here's an example for the london area: https://overpass-turbo.eu/s/2oCl annoyingly, querying the whole of UK is too big, but it should be possible to get the needed IDs and loop over them. It has the downside, that the data has to actually be entered into OSM, but it's a start

Rick Rubenstein

When I saw the title I thought it might be about the heights of extremely *high* bridges, which piqued my interest because I recently learned the (I thought) astonishing fact that 46 of the 50 highest bridges in the world are in China.

James Spear

In case anyone is interested, I made this file in desmos which (should) give the signage for any bridge height: https://www.desmos.com/calculator/ghk2jfyjci ...and watching further into the video I see Matt has already beat me to it. Ah well. Still fun!

William Wallace

At the back street bridge in Shrewsbury it looked like you were measuring to the edge not the lowest point of the support beam.

John Doe

Does Adam keep track of "impossible" signs like the one you talk about at 11:15? That would also seem to be an interesting category of signs to collect.

Gregor Shapiro

Check out parking structures. In Sweden 2.2 meters is rather common for entry into them.

Gregor Shapiro

Not only can the bridge be built with an arch (curved upward) but the road is almost always not flat or level so that rain flows to one or the other side. I suspect (and hope) there are instructions in the Road Works Signage manual to determine precisely where to measure the "height" of a bridge.

Robin Capper

It's interesting that they specify to measure separately in each unit type. Presume that is to eliminate, or reduce, the chance of a wrong measurement (then conversion of that error) just duplicating it.

Ann Onimous

No bridges over troubled waters?

AuntieSash Hazlewood

Do they have heights marked on bridges for boat traffic? I assume they must. That would be a whole different range of heights, I would suspect.