Former Railway Bridge By Dilke Memorial Hospital

SO 61 SW CINDERFORD SPEECH HOUSE ROAD

9/31 Former Railway Bridge by Dilke 22.5.83 Memorial Hospital

II

Bridge, c1870. Sandstone, rock faced, squared and coursed, drafted edges to piers and main quoins, tooled with drafted edges and weathered upper surface to coping. Skew arch has stretcher bond red brick soffite. Arch span about 4.25m, rising to about 4.5m on to crown of flat elliptical arch, with keystone; railway arch about 9.10m long at angle of c.23° to centre line of B4226, Speech House Road. Twin piers each side carry weathered rectangular copings, flanked by segmental ramped wings, ending in similar piers. Parapet c.1.4m deep from top of surface to string course immediately above arch; road about 7.4m wide between parapets. Built by Severn and Wye Railway to take road over the Mineral Loop, opened in 1872: railway track now removed. It is a good example of a mid-Victorian railway bridge, with strong geometrical forms and a visual illustration of a brick skew arch. In an area formerly very rich in industrial and colliery workings, with many railway lines, the bridge is an important survival. Bridge half in Ruspidge Parish, boundary running along centre of road.

The asset was previously listed twice. It was also listed under List Entry 1186349. This entry was removed from the List on 07/10/2014.

Listing NGR: SO6415212546