The Pulpit Bridge or Armchair Bridge (officially Bridge No. 69 and also known as Lord Henley's Bridge) carries the

Northampton Loop The Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton. It is a branch of the West Coast Main Line, deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west. The WCML is a four track line up to either end of the Loop: th ...

railway line over a former entrance drive to the Watford Park estate near

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

in Northamptonshire. Built in 1877, it is now a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

for its unusual design.

Description

The bridge is in metal with stone abutments and brick wing walls. Its parapet has a shape which has been variously described as resembling an armchair or a

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

. It is a single span and sits on a stone plinth. It has a pair of

four-centred arch A four-centred arch (Commonwealth spelling) or four-centered arch (American spelling) is a low, wide type of arch with a pointed apex. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius, ...

es which face north and south have foliate designs. The

spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...

s contain the coat of arms of the Henley barons, the owners of Watford Park. The

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

s take the form of

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

s with interleaving arches. They end with projections which cap the abutments and which resemble a church

or the arms of a chair. The projections have decorative banding, finials and openwork in the shape of gothic arches. The total span of the bridge is about .* The abutments are in moulded ashlar with stone copings. They have carved recessed panels in a similar shape to the openwork on the metal projections which are directly above. Underneath the bridge is a metal gate which rests on decorative posts and is flanked by railings on either side. The gate marks the entry point to the point.

History

The bridge was built in 1877 by the

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world. Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connec ...

for its

Northampton loop The Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton. It is a branch of the West Coast Main Line, deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west. The WCML is a four track line up to either end of the Loop: th ...

line which was built to provide a second pair of tracks between

Roade Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England. Currently in West Northamptonshire, before local government changes in 2021 it was represented by South Northamptonshire District Council, falling within the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward ...

and and to serve

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

, which the original line bypassed in the 1830s. Watford Park belonged to

Anthony Henley, 3rd Baron Henley Anthony Henley Henley, 3rd Baron Henley, 1st Baron Northington (''né'' Eden; 12 April 1825 – 27 November 1898) was a British peer and Liberal Member of Parliament. Early life and education Henley was born Anthony Eden, the son of Hon. Robe ...

, who apparently contributed the design for the bridge. The bridge was used as a halt from which Henley—the MP for Northampton—could travel to parliament in London. Henley was a lay vicar and is believed to have used the bridge to preach to the estate's workers, hence its nickname "Pulpit Bridge". The nickname "Armchair Bridge" was apparently coined by railway staff for its resemblance to a piece of furniture. The bridge originally had other decorative cast-iron elements but these were removed in the 1930s, having deteriorated beyond repair. The bridge is otherwise little altered and is regularly maintained as an active railway bridge. It was designated a Grade II

in 2011 in recognition of its unusual design. Listed building status provides legal protection from unauthorised demolition or unsympathetic modification.

References

{{reflist Bridges completed in 1877 Grade II listed bridges Grade II listed buildings in Northamptonshire 1877 establishments in England