Holmes Water Bridge (SPC8 64)

A single-span, railway bridge carrying the line over the River Amber, built c.1836-40 for the North Midland Railway to the designs of George and Robert Stephenson and their Assistant Engineer Frederick Swanwick.

MATERIALS: coursed and squared quarry-faced Derbyshire gritstone with ashlar dressings, square metal tie plates, and red brick soffit linings.

DESCRIPTION: the east face of the bridge comprises a single, wide, segmental arch of rusticated, V-channelled voussoirs and a projecting keystone. The arch voussoirs rise from a quarry-faced impost band and radiate out to meet the wing walls, into which square metal tie plates have been inserted. Above the arch is a boldly-projecting roll moulding, which is carried through as the coping to the flanking abutment walling. The bridge has a low ashlar parapet to which have been attached C20, steel railings. Below the soffit and impost bands are masonry underside walls. The impost band curves out from the underside of the bridge and extends into the abutment walling where its upper face becomes a pitched surface to shed rainwater. The raking masonry abutment walls are widely splayed. The west face of the bridge is understood to be similarly detailed.