Victoria Railway Bridge

The Victoria Railway Bridge, built in 1838 by James Walker of Walker and Burges, is a railway bridge made of rusticated sandstone. It features four main arches, with the southernmost arch spanning the River Wear, and three minor arches at each end. The main spans measure 100 feet, 160 feet, 144 feet, and 100 feet, with a height from the foundations to the top of the parapet of 156 feet 6 inches. The arches are constructed with voussoirs and bands, and there are impost blocks on the minor arches. Three semi-circular buttresses extend into refuges in the parapet, and there is massive coping on the plinths of the cutwaters. Historically, the bridge was built for the Durham Junction Railway and was completed on the day of Queen Victoria's coronation, June 28th. It served as part of the main London-Newcastle line until 1868 and connects the valley sides at their crest. The design was inspired by Trajan's bridge at Alcantara, though it is not a direct copy.