Railway overbridge MVL3/8, Heyrod Footbridge

The Heyrod Footbridge is a railway overbridge built between 1845 and 1849 by AS Jee for the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway. It features late 19th century and 20th century alterations to its parapets.

Constructed from sandstone, cast iron, red brick, and blue engineering brick, the bridge carries a footpath that runs east-west over the railway, with steps on the eastern side leading down to a path that goes south-east towards Spring Bank Lane.

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

On the eastern side, steep steps descend to the north between the approach walls, leading to a landing that is enclosed by a curving northern wall. This area features monumental posts at the eastern corners, which are circular with a weathered plinth, punch-dressed, and topped with a dome on the southern post, while the northern post is missing its cap. The northern approach wall extends for two meters beyond the post alongside the footpath, stepping down to meet the ground. Mild steel handrails are attached to the southern post and the inner faces of the approach walls.

From the landing, four sandstone steps lead down to the footpath, which consists of short landings of sandstone setts separated by flights of three shallow steps, featuring setted treads and flagstone risers that show significant wear.