Mansfield Road Bridge (SPC8 6)

Mansfield Road Bridge is a three-span stone overbridge that carries Mansfield Road. It was built between 1836 and 1840 for the North Midland Railway, designed by George and Robert Stephenson with Frederick Swanwick, and altered in 1891.

The bridge is constructed from coursed and squared Coal Measure sandstone, featuring ashlar Derbyshire Gritstone dressings that are tooled. The soffits of the arches are made of red brick. The north face of the bridge mirrors the south face. The central arch has a span of 30 feet and was originally 16 feet high, conforming to the standard dimensions of the Stephensons’ North Midland overbridges. The outer arches each span 25 feet. All three arches are segmental, with v-channelled, rusticated ashlar voussoirs that spring from impost bands extending onto the underside of the bridge. The abutments beneath the impost bands are faced with coursed and squared quarry-faced stone, featuring rusticated ashlar quoins and plinths.

Flanking the arches, the splayed wing walls step out and are raked and concave, ending in piers. The parapet, which is v-channelled and rusticated, rises from a cornice made of a narrow ashlar course, a bold roll mould, and a course of ashlar with a chamfered upper edge, all of which are tooled. Above this are two large courses of picked stone with tooled margins. The coping stones are broad, tooled, and square-moulded, sloping slightly to the outside edge. The inside faces of the parapets consist of two and a half courses with punched surfaces. Additionally, a loose stone wall has been constructed against the pier and abutment on the down (west) side.

It is noted that the tarmacadam road surface of the bridge is not considered to have special architectural or historic interest.