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The Wolverton Works canal bridge, or Bridge no. 171C, is a bridge over the
Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the Canals of the United Kingdom, British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another to Birmi ...
in
Wolverton Wolverton ( ) is a constituent town of Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban ar ...
,
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
in south-eastern England. It carries a spur from the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
into
Wolverton Works Wolverton railway works, known locally as Wolverton Works or just The Works, was established in Wolverton (Milton Keynes), Wolverton, Buckinghamshire#Ceremonial county, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at t ...
. It was built in 1834–1835 for the
London and Birmingham Railway The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom, in operation from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR). The railway line which the company opened in 1838, betw ...
under the supervision of
Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson , (honoris causa, Hon. causa) (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of hi ...
and has been little modified since. It is 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 ...
.


Background

Wolverton Works Wolverton railway works, known locally as Wolverton Works or just The Works, was established in Wolverton (Milton Keynes), Wolverton, Buckinghamshire#Ceremonial county, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at t ...
, opened in 1838, was built by the
London and Birmingham Railway The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom, in operation from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR). The railway line which the company opened in 1838, betw ...
(L&BR) as its main locomotive maintenance depot.
Wolverton Wolverton ( ) is a constituent town of Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban ar ...
, now part of
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
, was chosen because it was the approximate half-way point of the line. Just to the south is Old Wolverton Road bridge and Blue Bridge and to the north is Wolverton Viaduct, both original to the L&BR. Immediately north of the bridge is the Royal Train Shed.


Design

The bridge carries the tracks across the
Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the Canals of the United Kingdom, British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another to Birmi ...
. It consists of 16 cast-iron
I-beam An I-beam is any of various structural members with an - (serif capital letter 'I') or H-shaped cross section (geometry), cross-section. Technical terms for similar items include H-beam, I-profile, universal column (UC), w-beam (for "wide flang ...
s supporting the track, with a stone bearing. The
abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end that provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...
s are in a combination of red and blue brick. One of the girders contains the manufacturers' mark "Butterley" in relief, referencing the
Butterley Company The Butterley Company was an English manufacturing firm founded as Benjamin Outram and Company in 1790. Its subsidiaries existed until 2009. Origins This area of Derbyshire had been known for its outcrops of iron ore which had been exploited at ...
of
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
. The original girders are all cross braced; one, probably the original eastern face, is decorated with moulded timber. When the bridge was widened, steel or wrought iron girders were added on the eastern side. The deck was built from cast iron plates, most of which survive. As built, the bridge had two sections, each eight beams wide, with a gap between them, but the gap was later filled with steelwork. The original balustrades were replaced in the 20th century with timber parapets and steel railings.


History

The bridge, designed by
Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson , (honoris causa, Hon. causa) (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of hi ...
, opened in 1838 when the LBR began running train services. The section of line carried by the bridge was originally four tracks wide and part of the LBR's main line. The main line (now known as the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
) originally passed through Wolverton works but in 1882, a new section of line was built to allow trains to bypass the works. Thereafter, traffic over the bridge reduced and it ceased to carry passenger services, possibly explaining why it was never replaced. The bridge was widened in 1889, by which time the LBR had been amalgamated into 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 ...
, using
wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
instead of cast iron. Following several failures, many cast-iron beam bridges were replaced and Wolverton's is now a rare survivor, and possibly the only such bridge of its size remaining. The bridge now carries a single track, which is supported on the steel plate across the centre of the structure which was added in the 20th century. Although modified and widened the bridge is still substantially the same structure as when it was built. The bridge, along with the adjacent reading room building, is the oldest intact part of the works. It is 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 ...
.


See also

* Grade II* listed buildings in the City of Milton Keynes


References


External links

* {{cite map , author = Ordnance Survey , title =OS Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952 , map = Buckinghamshire IX (includes: Castlethorpe; Cosgrove; Old Stratford; Wolverton.) , map-url = https://maps.nls.uk/view/102340097 , year = 1885 , scale = 1:10,560 , publisher = National Library of Scotland (This map shows the original route of the WCML through the Works. The new route, bypassing the town to the east, is shown in outline.) Grade II* listed railway bridges and viaducts Bridges in Buckinghamshire Grade II* listed buildings in Buckinghamshire Bridges completed in 1838 Wolverton Buildings and structures in Milton Keynes