Strutts Bridge (SPC8 23)

Strutts Bridge is a single-span stone overbridge built between 1836 and 1840 for the North Midland Railway, designed by George and Robert Stephenson along with Frederick Swanwick.

The bridge is constructed from coursed and squared Coal Measure Sandstone, with ashlar Derbyshire Gritstone dressings. The underside of the arch features skew-set red brick. Both faces of the bridge are nearly identical, showcasing a single segmental arch that spans 30 feet and originally stood 16 feet high. The arch is made of V-chanelled, rusticated gritstone ashlar voussoirs that spring from impost bands, which extend into the underside of the bridge. The abutments are faced with coursed and squared quarry-faced sandstone, featuring ashlar gritstone quoins and a plinth with a chamfered top edge.

Wing walls frame the arch, curving gently and faced in squared and coursed quarry-faced sandstone, terminating in half octagonal piers. The roadway has a steep incline, indicated on the bridge faces by the angle of the bold roll moulding and the parapets, which rise from the east side to the west side. The parapets consist of three courses of squared and coursed quarry-faced stone, topped with broad, tooled, and square-moulded coping stones that have a slight fall to the outside edge. A modern steel handrail is fixed to the top of the parapets, which increase in height from one and a half courses on the west side to two and a half courses on the east side. It is noted that the steel handrails are not considered to have special architectural or historic interest.