Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge

Bridge in Wearside

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)Electrified1500V DCHistoryDesignerThomas Elliot HarrisonConstructed byHawks, Crawshay and SonsFabrication byJohn Waddell & SonsOpened1879 (1879)Location Map

Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge (officially Monkwearmouth Bridge, also called Wearmouth Railway Bridge or Sunderland Railway Bridge) is a railway bridge built in 1879, crossing the River Wear at Sunderland and Monkwearmouth. The bridge lies adjacent to and upstream of the Wearmouth Road Bridge.

Originally built as part of the Monkwearmouth Junction Line, it provided the first direct railway link between Newcastle and Sunderland. The bridge is now used by Tyne and Wear Metro and Durham Coast Line services.

History and design

The bridge was built as part of the infrastructure for the Monkwearmouth Junction Line, which opened in 1879; a connecting line across the River Wear to link line of the former Brandling Junction Railway at Monkwearmouth to the south bank at Sunderland and the line of the former Durham and Sunderland Railway.^[1]^[2]

The bridge was designed by T. E. Harrison: it consisted of a 300 ft (91 m) main span, an iron bowstring bridge, constructed from box girders connected by what would later be considered a Vierendeel truss with curved corner strengthening to create elliptical voids in the bracing. Harrison's design pre-dates Vierendeel's theoretical analysis of these structures by around 20 years. The iron bridge was supported 86 ft (26 m) above high water level on the Wear. At either end of the bridge were three 25 ft (7.6 m) span masonry arches. Hawks, Crawshay and Sons built the ironwork, John Waddell was contractor for the stonework.^[1]^[2] At the time of its construction it was claimed to be the largest hogsback iron bridge in the world.^[3]

The structure was grade II listed in 1978,^[3] planning consent was required for alterations to the structure circa 2000 for works relating to Metro construction: for the installation of overhead line electrification;^[4] and for the construction of a station (St Peter's Metro station), constructed on the northern approach viaduct of the bridge.^[5] In 2007 the bridge underwent repairs and strengthening, including the installation of 45 new transverse beams.^[6]

Use

The bridge and railway allowed trains to run directly from Newcastle to Hartlepool, by creating a through line from Newcastle to Sunderland.^[1]^[3]

Since 2002, the bridge has also carried the Tyne and Wear Metro. It is part of the modern (2012) Durham Coast Line.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Tomlinson, W.W. (1915), The North Eastern Railway; its rise and development, Andrew Reid and Company, Newcastle; Longmans, Green and Company, London, p. 685
^ ^a ^b Rennison, Robert William (1996), Civil Engineering Heritage: Northern England (2 ed.), Thomas Telford Publishing, p. 65, ISBN 07277-2518-1
^ ^a ^b ^c Historic England. "MONKWEARMOUTH RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER RIVER WEAR WITH VIADUCT TO NORTH (1207051)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
^
Sources:
- "97/00737/LBC - Works to Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge, including partial demolition of viaduct parapets ..", www.sunderland.gov.uk, 8 May 1997
- "97/00736/LBC - Installation of overhead electric line equipment ..", www.sunderland.gov.uk, 8 May 1997
^ MacKay, K. R. (1999). "Sunderland Metro - Challenge and Opportunity". Proceedings of the ICE - Municipal Engineer. 133 (2). Institute of Civil Engineers: 53–63. doi:10.1680/imuen.1999.31757.
^
Sources:
- "Monkwearmouth Bridge Strengthening" (PDF), www.tatalsteeleurope.com^{[permanent dead link]}
- "Pyeroy Group - Works underway on Monkwearmouth bridge", www.railwaystrategies.co.uk, 31 August 2007
^ "SUNDERLAND RAILWAY BRIDGE", www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk, retrieved 11 October 2012

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge.

Searle, Peter (ed.), "The Sunderland Site Page 2 - Wearmouth Bridges", www.searlecanada.org

Listed buildings in the City of Sunderland

v t e Grade I
Sunderland	Holy Trinity Church Hylton Castle & Chapel Phoenix Lodge St Andrew's Church St Peter's Church
Washington	Washington Old Hall
Houghton-le-Spring	Penshaw Monument St Michael and All Angels Church

v t e Grade II*
Sunderland	Doxford House Fulwell Acoustic Mirror Fulwell Mill Sunderland Minster Monkwearmouth Station Museum Old South Pier Ryhope Pumping Station & Chimney St George's Church Empire Theatre 11 Church Street East
Houghton-le-Spring	Houghton Hall Houghton Rectory Kepier School Victoria Viaduct

Grade II

Sunderland

City Centre	Sunderland Museum St Mary's Church Mowbray Almshouses Sunderland County Court Corder House and Sydenham House Elephant Tea Rooms Green's Public House The Isis Sunderland Gas Board Galen Building Fitzgerald's Public House Wearmouth Bridge River Wear Commission Building St Mary's Building Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge Sunderland Magistrates' Court Hawksley House Victoria Hall Disaster Memorial Sunderland War Memorial Burdon Road Masonic Temple 4–25 Foyle Street 28–40 and 43–48 West Sunnside Medieval Arch & Wall Central Buildings Former General Post Office Former Custom House Maritime Buildings 19, 20, 29 and 30 Villiers Street West Park Church 17–29, 32–42 & 45–58 Frederick Street Mowbray Park (certain buildings) Midland Bank National Westminster Bank Barclays Bank Lloyds Bank 11–17, 20–23 25–28 and 45–58 John Street 2 & 3 Mary Street 3–5 Albion Place 19 & 31–33 Norfolk Street 3 & 22 Athenaeum Street Hutchinson's Buildings The Londonderry The Dun Cow 1–7, 105–112, 114–118, 145, 170–173, 176, 211, 212 and 214–217 High Street West 49–51 High Street East
Monkwearmouth and Southwick	Monkwearmouth Library Monkwearmouth College Wheatsheaf Hotel North East Railway Stables Holy Trinity Church St Columba's Church Hebron Church 6 Back North Bridge Street 57 and 58 Barclay Street Southwick Limekilns The Tramcar Inn Thompson Memorial Southwick War Memorial 65–95 James Armitage Street All Saints' Church
Ryhope and Burdon	Railway Inn Ryhope Grange Farmhouse St Paul's Church The Chestnuts and The Wilderness Burdon Hall The Railway Inn 14 Cliff Road Ryhope War Memorial Coqueda Hall Ryhope Rent Office Ryhope Pumping Station
Ashbrooke and Thornholme	Bede Tower Sunderland Synagogue Christ Church West Hendon House St John's Church Carlton House Langham Tower Ashburne House The Crofts Gray House St George's House 3–7 Douro Terrace Valebrooke Gardens Westburn House 1–29 Thornhill Terrace 1–15 Grange Crescent 1–9 The Esplanade Burdon House 1–16 St Bede's Terrace 1–24 Park Place East and West Park Road Methodist Church
Hendon and Grangetown	Hendon Gas Works Quayside Exchange St Aidan's Church Trafalgar Square Merchant Seaman's Almshouses St Ignatius Church Tavistock House Sunderland Orphanage 10 Church Street East Salisbury Street Steps Sunderland Cemetery (certain buildings) Former Methodist Manse Bethesda Free Church 17–23 Murton Street 3–19 Ridley Terrace North Dock (walls and mooring posts) Hudson Dock (certain buildings) Sunderland Harbour South Pier Whylam Wharf Bonded Warehouse
Barnes and Humbledon	Barnes School St Gabriel's Church Kayll Road Library Children's Hospital Humbledon Pumping Station Hill House Bishopwearmouth Cemetery (certain buildings) Barnes Park Bandstand
Deptford, Millfield and Pallion	The Mountain Daisy Public House St Joseph's Church Queen Alexandra Bridge St Mark's Church St Luke's Church Laing Fountain Webster's Ropery
Silksworth and Tunstall	Silksworth Hall Tunstall Lodge Silksworth Cottage Tunstall School Tunstall Hope Lodge
North Hylton and South Hylton	The Shipwrights South Hylton War Memorial The Golden Lion Hylton House 41 & 42 High Street St Mary's Church
Fulwell, Roker and Whitburn Bents	Fulwell Pumping Station The Bents Mere Knolls Cemetery (certain buildings) Roker Park Bandstand Roker Park Drinking Fountain Roker Pier & Lighthouse Andover Fulwell Limekilns 160, 162 & 164 Newcastle Road
Middle and East Herrington	Crow Lane Farmhouse Greystones Ivy House

Washington

Blue House Villa
'F' Pit
The Old Hall Smithy
Low Barmston Farmhouse
Red Hill House
Usworth Hall
Fatfield House
Our Blessed Lady Immaculate Church, Washington

Certain buildings in/on: Peareth Hall Road
The Avenue

Houghton-le-Spring

Houghton-le-Spring	Davenport and Lilburne Almshouses Lilburn House Gilpin House The Villa The Rectory St Michael's Church The Old Mill Laburnum House Houghton Mines Rescue Station High Farm House St Cuthbert's Church Stoneygate Pumping Station Philadelphia Power Station Certain buildings in/on: Nesham Place Front Street, Newbottle Philadelphia Lane
Hetton-le-Hole	St Nicholas' Church, Hetton-le-Hole St Nicholas House Easington Lane War Memorial Pithead Baths Smithy Primitive Methodist Church
Newbottle	Russell House Newbottle Working Men's Club St Matthew's Church, Newbottle Cellar Hill House
Penshaw	All Saints' Church Penshaw House Alice Well Accommodation Arch Boundary Stone