Bolehall Viaduct

Bolehall Viaduct
Anker Viaduct from the Midland Counties' Railway Companion of 1840
Coordinates	52°37′50.8″N1°41′10.5″W / 52.630778°N 1.686250°W / 52.630778; -1.686250
Carries	Cross Country Route
Crosses	River Anker
Locale	Tamworth, Staffordshire
Official name	Bolehall Viaduct
Other name(s)	Anker Viaduct
Maintained by	Network Rail
Heritage status	Grade II listed
Characteristics
Total length	807 ft (246 m)
History
Opened	1839
Location

Bolehall Viaduct, also known as Bolebridge Viaduct or the Anker Viaduct, and known locally as the 19 Arches, is a railway bridge in Bolehall (near Tamworth) in Staffordshire, England. It was designed by George Stephenson and opened in 1839 for the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway. It remains in use and crosses the River Anker. It is a Grade II listed building.

History

George Stephenson and George Parker Bidder surveyed the route for the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway (BDJR) and designed Bolehall Viaduct. Stephenson relinquished his position as the railway's chief engineer in favour of his son, Robert Stephenson, when construction work began. The resident engineer was John Birkinshaw, formerly an assistant engineer to the Stephensons on the London and Birmingham Railway. ^[1] The BDJR issued tenders for the contract in May 1837 ^[2] and the contracts were let in August 1837. ^[3] By February 1839 the construction was completed and the ballasting was being prepared for the permanent way. ^[4] The first engine traversed the viaduct on 1 July 1839 and the first train on 6 July. Passenger services began on 12 August 1839. ^[5]

Description

The viaduct carries the railway across the River Anker, its shallow valley, and two local roads at Bolehall on the south-eastern edge of Tamworth. It consists of 19 arches—18 segmental arches of 30 feet (9.1 metres) span and one skew arch of 60 feet (18 metres), which crosses a road junction. Arches 6 and 7 from the south-east (Birmingham end) to north-west (Derby end) span the river, arch 10 crosses a road, and the skew arch is number 19. The bridge is 240 yards (220 metres) reaches a maximum height of 45 feet (14 metres). It is built from rock-faced sandstone blocks. It has stepped voussoirs and a substantial cornice which is supported by large, closely spaced modillions and rises to form the bridge parapet. The piers in the river have rounded cutwaters. The abutments at each end are swept forward. Under two of the arches are low stone walls which flank entrance gates. ^{[6] [7]}

The viaduct is a Grade II listed building, first designated in November 1972, a status which provides it with legal protection. Its list entry calls it "an important landmark at the south east end of Tamworth". ^[7] The railway historian Gordon Biddle noted that "what it lacks in height and grace is made up for in a boldly rugged appearance". ^[6]

See also

• Listed buildings in Tamworth, Staffordshire

References

1. Cragg, Roger (2010). Civil Engineering Heritage: West Midlands. Andover: Phillimore. pp. 98–99. ISBN   9781860775727.
2. "Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway. Contract for Works" . Birmingham Journal. England. 20 May 1837. Retrieved 29 October 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway" . Globe. England. 8 September 1837. Retrieved 29 October 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway" . Sheffield Iris. England. 19 February 1839. Retrieved 29 October 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "The Birmingham and Derby junction railway" . Worcester Journal. England. 15 August 1839. Retrieved 25 October 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
6. Biddle, Gordon (2011). Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures (second ed.). Hersham: Ian Allan. p. 369. ISBN   9780711034914.
7. Historic England. "Bolehall Viaduct (1293304)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 12 April 2025.