Holmes Water Bridge (SPC8 64)

Holmes Water Bridge is a single-span railway bridge that carries the railway line over the River Amber. It was built around 1836 to 1840 for the North Midland Railway, designed by George and Robert Stephenson along with their Assistant Engineer Frederick Swanwick.

The bridge is constructed from coursed and squared quarry-faced Derbyshire gritstone with ashlar dressings, featuring square metal tie plates and red brick soffit linings. The east face showcases a wide, segmental arch made of rusticated, V-channelled voussoirs, topped with a projecting keystone. The arch voussoirs rise from a quarry-faced impost band and extend outward to meet the wing walls, which incorporate square metal tie plates. Above the arch, there is a prominently projecting roll moulding that continues as the coping for the adjacent abutment walls. The bridge features a low ashlar parapet, which has been fitted with 20th-century steel railings. The underside of the bridge includes masonry walls below the soffit and impost bands. The impost band curves outward from the underside and integrates into the abutment walls, where its upper face is pitched to facilitate rainwater drainage. The west face of the bridge is believed to have similar detailing.