Macclesfield Bridge On Avenue Road Axis Including North Gate North Gate

The Macclesfield Bridge, built in 1815-16, carries the road across the Regent's Canal. It was designed by James Morgan, engineer for the Regent's Canal Company, and was assisted by Nash, who was working in the Office of the Woods and Forests at the time. The bridge is constructed of brick and cast iron, featuring three shallow segmental brick arches. These arches are carried on two sets of five cast iron Greek Doric columns, manufactured by Coalbrookdale, with cross-vaulting between the column capitals. The spandrels contain blind oculi. The brickwork infilling the side arches into the abutments was renewed around 1874. The flat road deck is edged with stone coping and features a cast iron balustrade with a lattice pattern. The balustrade terminates in stone piers topped with enriched lamp standards, which have modern (mid-20th century) Nico type lanterns. The bridge is commonly known as "Blow-up Bridge," a name derived from an 1874 explosion of a powder barge that occurred underneath it, which necessitated the later brickwork repairs.