Railway Bridge 171d (Skew Bridge)

This railway underbridge, known as Railway Bridge 171D (Skew Bridge), was built between 1837 and 1838 for the London and Birmingham Railway, designed by engineer Robert Stephenson. It is constructed of red brick in English bond and has been extensively repaired with blue engineering brick and red sandstone dressings. The bridge features a single segmental arch with stone impost bands, positioned at a notable skew. On the west face, the arch is framed by elegant stone coped retaining wing-walls that curve forward and end in low piers topped with pyramidal stone caps. The east face has a similar retaining wall on the north side, while to the south, the bridge meets the impressive rock-faced stone retaining wall at the north end of the embankment for Wolverton's first railway station, which has since been replaced by the former Royal Train Shed. The railway line through Wolverton opened in 1837-8 and was originally part of the London and Birmingham Railway. It became part of the London and North Western Railway in 1846 and later the LMS in 1923.