It differs from its ancestor, the simple suspension bridge, in that the deck is raised on posts above the main cables.

Examples include Guillaume Henri Dufour's Pont des Bergues (1834);[2] and James Smith’s Micklewood Bridge.

[3] Part of the roadway on the land side of the piers of the Hammersmith Bridge was constructed in this manner.

[1] The Micklewood Bridge, constructed at Doune in Scotland, was the very first of this type.

The deck was stiff and relatively stable, owing to heavy cross-braces.