Railway overbridge MVL3/8, Heyrod Footbridge

Railway overbridge and flight of steps, 1845-1849, by AS Jee for the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway, with late-C19 and C20 parapet alterations.

MATERIALS: sandstone, cast iron, red brick, blue engineering brick.

DESCRIPTION: the bridge carries a footpath running east-west over the railway, with steps on the eastern side down to a path running south-east towards Spring Bank Lane.

The single span has a deck formed by cast-iron edge beams with a brick jack arch spanning between the bottom flanges. The abutments are battered, of squared and coursed quarry-faced stone with a weathered plinth and surmounted by an ashlar band. Projecting piers at all four inner corners are quoined, with a flush return linking them beneath the span. The piers have parapet imposts of three weathered ashlar steps, and pyramidal caps. The approach walls are of random-coursed squared stone with punched hog’s-back copings and a weathered projecting band at the base. The parapets are of blue engineering brick laid in alternate header and stretcher courses, the bottom six courses apparently older than those above. The stone parapet copings are twice-weathered. The deck is surfaced with tarmac.

On the eastern side steep steps run down to the north between the approach walls to a landing enclosed by a curving northern wall, with monumental posts at the eastern corners. The posts are circular with a weathered plinth, punch-dressed, and with a dome-topped deep circular cap to the southern post, that to the north being missing. The northern approach wall continues for two metres beyond the post alongside the footpath, stepping down to meet the ground. Mild steel handrails are fixed to the southern post and the inner faces of the approach walls.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: from the landing, four sandstone steps run down to the footpath, which is comprised of short landings of sandstone setts divided by flights of three shallow steps with setted treads and flagstone risers, all well-worn.