Wearmouth Railway Bridge

HER Number

4979

District

Sunderland

Site Name

Wearmouth Railway Bridge

Place

Sunderland

Map Sheet

NZ35NE

Class

Transport

Site Type: Broad

Railway Transport Site

Site Type: Specific

Railway Bridge

General Period

POST MEDIEVAL

Specific Period

Victorian 1837 to 1901

Form of Evidence

Structure

Description

The railway bridge, built in 1879, was designed by T.E. Harrison, the Chief Engineer of the North Eastern Railway. When built it was the largest hog-back iron girder bridge in the world. Its dull design, however, has led it to be perpetually overshadowed by the neighbouring road bridge. The bridge has a single span of 300 feet (91.4 metres) at 86 feet (26.2 metres) above high water. The bridge led south to rail tunnels totalling 1,000 yards (914.4 metres) in length on the approach to Sunderland station. LISTED GRADE 2

Easting

439620

Northing

557420

Grid Reference

NZ439620557420

Sources

<< HER 4979 >> I. Ayris, The River Wear Trail Board Ten - The Bridges; I. Ayris & S.M. Linsley, 1994, A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Tyne and Wear, p 21; List Entry 1207051