Railway underbridge MDL1/24, Jack Lane

Railway underbridge for the Leeds, Dewsbury & Manchester Railway line. Mid-1840s by Thomas Grainger.

MATERIALS: cast-iron, quarry-faced sandstone with ashlar piers.

DESCRIPTION: a shallow arched, cast-iron beam bridge carrying the railway line over Jack Lane, which occupies a deep gully, and hence the abutments and wing walls are substantial structures. The bridge is similarly detailed on both sides. The angled abutments are constructed of rectangular, rusticated stone blocks with a plinth and moulded cornice with demi-acorn finials to the corners. The abutments terminate in square ashlar piers, which rise to track level where there is a moulded cornice, above which are narrower square parapet piers. Attached to the piers are gently curving and angled wing walls with square ashlar coping; they terminate in square piers with shallow pyramidal caps. The south-east wing wall has a later stone wall constructed upon part of it, and the stone coursing of the south-west wing wall continues into a further section of walling with stone bands associated with a second bridge that formally stood here. The bridge has a simple cast-iron balustrade of stick balusters supported on cast-iron fascia beams that spring from a moulded impost band on abutments of quarry-faced local sandstone; each fascia beam is formed by an arched girder with infilled spandrels above, finished with a moulded top flange supporting the iron balustrading above. The re-built track deck has riveted steel beams and transverse joints.