Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge Over River Wear With Viaduct To North

The Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge over the River Wear, along with the viaduct to the north, was built in 1879 for the Monkwearmouth Junction Railway of the North Eastern Railway Company, designed by engineer Thomas Harrison. This structure features a wrought-iron arch supported by rock-faced abutments with ashlar dressings. It has a girder deck and a bow-string arch with girder ties that are braced by pierced plates transitioning from circles to tall ovals. The piers are arch-pierced and include plinths and top bands beneath square ashlar rail-bed piers, which also have plinths, top bands, and stop-chamfered coping. The abutments and viaduct are made of rock-faced stone and have high accommodation arches over Sheepfolds Road and Easington Street, featuring voussoirs and flat-coped ashlar parapets. This bridge was constructed to connect the former Brandling Junction Railway line terminus at Monkwearmouth Station with a new Central Station in Sunderland, marking the first through line between Newcastle and Sunderland. At the time of its completion, it was said to be "the largest hog-back iron girder bridge in the world." The railway bridge and viaduct are associated with Monkwearmouth Station.