South Wingfield Footpath Bridge (SPC8 56)

A narrow accommodation underbridge designed by George and Robert Stephenson, with their Assistant Engineer Frederick Swanwick, for the North Midland Railway,built c.1836-40, later widened on the east elevation.

MATERIALS: coursed squared Coal Measures sandstone, ashlar gritstone dressings with tooled margins and red brick soffit linings. A riveted steel or iron deck has been added,carried on engineering brick abutments.

DESCRIPTION: the west elevation comprises a single, semi-circular arch of rusticated, ashlar V-jointed voussoirs with tooled lower margins and a projecting keystone. The voussoirs return as quoins to the soffit lining. The masonry abutments are gently raked, with spandrels formed from herringbone-patterned, punch-faced stonework. The bridge has a shallow parapet of tooled, ashlar blocks, now supporting C20, metal railings. The flanking wall is finished in the same fashion as the abutment stonework and terminates at low, square masonry piers. The copings are of squared and tooled ashlar. The east elevation, consists of a riveted, iron or steel girder resting on blue engineering brick abutments. Flanking masonry walls extend on either side following the alignment of the track bed, which acted as retaining walls to the additional reception sidings (now removed).