Wingfield Tunnel South Portal (SPC8 51P1)

A tunnel portal built 1836-40 for the North Midland Railway to the designs of George and Robert Stephenson with Frederick Swanwick.

MATERIALS: coursed and squared quarry-faced Derbyshire Gritstone walling, ashlar dressings.

DESCRIPTION: the south portal of Wingfield Tunnel is situated in a deep cutting. It possesses a true horseshoe arch consisting of two orders of roll mouldings which merge into a single moulding at the foot. There is an additional ashlar band running along the extrados. The spandrels are of coursed and squared quarry-faced gritstone. Projecting on either side there are wide, raked piers of coursed and squared quarry-faced gritstone with rusticated ashlar quoins. Outside these are wing walls of quarry-faced gritstone that run perpendicular to the track. The whole is topped with an ashlar course, bold roll moulding and a low ashlar parapet of one course, which act as a cornice to terminate the structure. Over the arch the parapet rises gently towards the centre. It is topped by C20 metal railings.

Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the C20 metal railings fixed to the top of the parapet of the tunnel portal are not of special architectural or historic interest.