Hennapyn Road Bridge Immediately South Of Torquay Station

Hennapyn Road Bridge, located immediately south of Torquay Station, is a road bridge over a railway line, likely constructed in 1892. It features limestone abutments that are snecked and rock-faced, with ashlar quoins and a stringcourse. The bridge itself is made of cast iron, including the parapet balustrade. It is a single-span bridge supported by segmental arched cast-iron girders, with nine girders set closely together. The outer girders have fielded-panel, recessed spandrels. The elegant cast-iron balustrade above is decorated with large acanthus leaves and interlacing patterns, with small cast-iron posts at the junction of each of the three panels. Below the balustrade is a cast-iron torus-moulded string that continues in stone on the abutments, which have piers with a noticeable batter and pyramid caps. The abutments also feature parapets with terminal piers that have similar caps. The railway line over which the bridge spans was originally built by the South Devon Railway Company in 1848, reaching Torre Station. The line was extended to Paignton in 1859, leading to the opening of Torquay Station. In 1876, the South Devon Railway was taken over by the Great Western Railway, which constructed Torquay Station in 1878. This bridge was likely built in 1892 as part of the track widening project.