Alfreton Stream Bridge (SPC8 60)

Alfreton Stream Bridge is a tall single-span underbridge built around 1836 to 1840 for the North Midland Railway, designed by George and Robert Stephenson with their Assistant Engineer Frederick Swanwick. It is located on an embankment crossing Alfreton Stream.

The bridge is constructed from coursed and squared quarry-faced Derbyshire gritstone with ashlar dressings, and features a red brick soffit. The east elevation showcases a single segmental arch made of rusticated, V-channelled ashlar voussoirs, which includes a slightly dropped and projecting keystone. The voussoirs originate from an ashlar impost band and end as ashlar quoins on the soffit. The spandrels of the bridge are made from masonry laid in diminishing courses between the impost band and the parapet levels. The abutment walls are built with quarry-faced masonry that has a tooled margin facing the arch. The slightly advanced curved abutment walls frame the bridge arch and slope downwards to meet the terminating piers. A boldly projecting ashlar roll moulding serves as the coping at the top of the arch and continues onto the flanking abutment walls. Low 20th-century steel railings are mounted on the coping above the bridge arch. The brickwork of the arch soffit includes areas of replacement 20th-century engineering brick. Below the arch impost band, the inner walling is made of coursed masonry that rises from a low chamfered plinth. The west elevation of the bridge is believed to have similar detailing.