Summary
A pedestrian overbridge, linking two halves of a public park which is bisected by the railway, consisting of a cast-iron span and Bath stone abutments.
Reasons for Designation
The footbridge over the Great Western Main Line in Sydney Gardens, a cast-iron footbridge of 1841 designed by I K Brunel, is designated at Grade II*, for the following principal reasons:
* Date: an early example of a railway structure dating from the pioneering phase in national railway development;
* Historic association: it is constructed to a design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who is widely perceived as one of the most important transport engineers and architects of the C19;
* Rarity: the bridge is the last surviving example of Brunel's cast-iron bridges on the GWR, and very few survive on other lines;
* Design interest: the footbridge's delicate design contributes to the picturesque quality of the designed landscape within which it is situated;
* Group value: it forms a group with the other Brunel-designed structures designed to allow the railway line through Sydney Gardens, which are also listed at Grade II.
History
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1835 to construct a line from London to Bristol. At 118 miles this was slightly longer than the other major trunk railway of its time, the London and Birmingham (112 miles) and considerably longer than other pioneering lines. Construction of the line began in 1836, using a variety of contractors and some direct labour. The first section to be completed, from London to Maidenhead Riverside (Taplow), opened in 1838, and thereafter openings followed in eight phases culminating in the completion of the whole route in 1841. The section from Chippenham to Bath, including the line through Sydney Gardens, was the last part to be opened, in June 1841.
The engineering of the railway was entrusted in 1833 to Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-59), who was already known for his engineering projects in Bristol. More than any other railway engineer of his time he took sole responsibility for every aspect of the engineering design, from surveying the line to the detailing of buildings and structures. He sought to achieve as level a route as possible and, working from first principles, he persuaded the Directors of the GWR to adopt a broad gauge of 7ft 0¼ in rather than the standard (4ft 8½ in) gauge in use on other lines. A two track broad gauge line was 30ft wide, and this determined the span of the overbridges and other structures. Except for larger bridges such as Maidenhead Bridge, the majority of Brunel’s masonry bridges did not need to be as innovative as his works in timber and iron, and his structures followed the typical architectural idioms of his time, but they were all beautifully detailed and built and together they formed integral parts of a consistently-designed pioneering railway.
As in other aspects of engineering, Brunel’s designs using cast iron were unlike those used by other engineers, especially in his preferred beam sections. He sought to establish his own understanding of the material, using model testing where necessary. The same inventiveness also characterised his later designs in wrought iron, notably the closed suspension bridges at Chepstow (1850-2) and Saltash (1852-9). Much of Brunel’s engineering reputation, in his use of iron as in other spheres, rests on his originality rather than his contribution to mainstream developments.
Sydney Gardens Footbridge
When this bridge was listed in 1972 it was believed to date from the 1860s, after Brunel’s death. However, recent research for English Heritage (Brindle & Tucker, 2011, unpublished) has shown conclusively that the bridge was in fact designed by Brunel, built in 1840-1 under contract 10B, and is the last survivor of c. 22 cast-iron bridges designed by Brunel for the original Great Western Railway. Some of the original contract drawings survive.
It forms part of the works on the line through Sydney Gardens, a ‘subscription garden’ established in 1795 with a layout by Harcourt Masters in a smart suburb of Bath. Brunel was obliged to give his line a careful and even ornamental treatment as it ran through the Gardens, and the result is a memorable stretch of line composed of this bridge, other masonry bridges and balustraded retaining walls, which succeeded in making the railway one of the attractions of the Gardens. He had to negotiate the detail of this with R. Stothert, secretary to Gardens. Brunel shifted the site of the bridge in compliance with the company’s wishes, and eventually provided a masonry arch in the west (Up side) abutment (not shown on the surviving contract drawing).
The bridge has been little altered, but has a recent timber deck. It was listed in 1972 at Grade II, when it was believed to date from the 1860s.
Details
MATERIALS: East (Down) abutment of Bath stone ashlar, curving tightly to meet the contemporary Bath stone retaining wall running along side the Down line (separately listed). With cornice matching that on the deck fascia and parapet with coping moulded on the external face only. Purple engineering brick repair at the arch footings.
DESCRIPTION: skewed segmental arch with standard 30ft (9m) span consisting of three cast-iron arched ribs with open spandrels articulated by vertical uprights, carrying a recent timber deck (originally cast iron plates). Above the outer ribs, a cast-iron fascia, moulded as a cornice and supporting a parapet consisting of vertically-sided hoops clasped together by rings to form balusters joined by loops at top and bottom
West (Up) abutment also Bath stone ashlar and with cornice, treated with a wide projecting pier on each side. West of that a pedestrian passageway through the abutment, plainly treated with a barrel vault. Above this, the parapet and footway curve down. The parapet is boldly stepped on the inner face and the coping moulded on the outer face only.
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 19/07/2012
(Formerly listed as Footbridge over the railway in Sydney Gardens)
(Formerly Listed as SYDNEY GARDENS Railway bridge)
