Railway Viaduct To North Of Regents Canal Dock Between And Including Branch Road Bridge And Limehouse Cut Up To Three Colt Street

The Railway Viaduct to the north of Regents Canal Dock, built in 1839 by engineers George Stephenson and G P Bidder, is part of the London and Blackwall Railway, which opened in 1840. This early stock brick arcaded viaduct features a console corbelled string below the parapet with articulating dies. The Branch Road Bridge consists of two elliptical keystoned arches, while the Grand Union Canal Bridge, regarded as the "centre piece" of the Regents Dock sequence, has three arches. There is also a single arch bridge over the Limehouse Cut. All three bridges are characterized by heavy ashlar quoining at the abutments, topped with a pedimental blocking course. The arches feature heavy keystones and finely gauged brickwork, with a large stone cornice supported by corbel brackets below the parapet. The Grand Union Canal Bridge is adorned with a large arcaded cast iron railing along the parapet. This viaduct is listed for its railway engineering significance, being one of the earliest railways to serve the docks and playing a crucial role in transforming docking methods and buildings in the 1850s. The architectural quality of the viaduct, with its elegant arches, adds to its importance.