What drone services does CAV Aerial offer?

CAV Aerial provides drone roof inspections, thermal imaging, 3D models, and campaign video production. All flights are insured and GVC-certified.

Who are your typical clients?

We work with architects, conservation officers, builders, councils, heritage trusts, church wardens, and private homeowners across the UK.

Are your services suitable for churches and listed buildings?

Yes, we specialise in drone documentation for sensitive sites, including listed buildings and churches. We're registered with the National Churches Trust network.

Roof & Heritage Drone Surveys

A Structure You Can’t Fully See from the Ground

The Tees Transporter Bridge is one of the most recognisable industrial structures in the UK — but it’s also one of the hardest to properly document.

From ground level, you only ever see fragments. The scale, the engineering, the condition of the upper structure — it’s largely hidden.

As part of the Victorian Society Endangered Buildings List 2026, CAV Aerial was appointed to capture the bridge in a way that simply isn’t possible using traditional methods.

Using precision drone operations, we were able to:

Capture the full structure from above and across the River Tees
Access elevated walkways and structural elements
Film within and around areas that are inaccessible from the ground
Produce high-resolution visual documentation for media, conservation and public awareness

This is exactly where drone technology changes things — not just better images, but access to perspectives that don’t exist otherwise.

Using precision drone operations, we were able to capture the full structure from above and across the River Tees and access elevated walkways and structural elements

A Landmark of Engineering and Identity

Opened in 1911, the bridge spans the River Tees between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence and remains the longest transporter bridge still in existence.

It was designed to solve a very specific problem:
allow ships to pass freely while still moving people and vehicles across the river via a suspended gondola.

More than just infrastructure, the bridge became:

A symbol of Teesside’s industrial heritage
A vital transport link for workers and communities
A defining feature of the North East skyline

Today, it is Grade II* listed and widely recognised as one of the UK’s most important engineering structures.

Now One of the UK’s Most Endangered Buildings

Despite its significance, the bridge has been closed since 2019 due to structural concerns.

In 2026, it was officially added to the Top 10 Endangered Buildings list by the Victorian Society — highlighting the urgent need for investment and restoration.

Repair costs are estimated at around £60 million, placing its future in uncertainty without coordinated national support.

This is exactly why documentation matters.

Bringing the Bridge Back into Public Focus

Our work on the project formed part of a wider national campaign to raise awareness — and it gained significant media attention, including coverage by:

ITV – Middlesbrough’s transporter bridge named one of the country’s most endangered buildings
Cultured North East – Historic Tees Transporter Bridge feature

Watch the ITV coverage
Read the Cultured North East article

Through aerial documentation, the condition and scale of the structure could be communicated clearly to: