Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
2736
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
26/03/1976
Date of Amendment
Name of Property
Piers and SW abutment of Brunel's railway bridge over River Wye
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Monmouthshire
Community
Chepstow
Town
Chepstow
Locality
Chepstow
Easting
353838
Northing
194019
Street Side
Location
Crossing the river SE of the main town centre; the A 48 by-pass road bridge was built adjacent; access to the abutment and piers from the riverside path from The Back.
Description
Broad Class
Domestic
Period
History
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Tubular Railway Suspension Bridge opened 14th July 1852 carrying the Great Western Region line from London to South Wales. Substantial engineering problems were posed by the high cliffs, the mudflats and the need for shipping headroom, the Admiralty requiring a height of 50 feet (16m). It comprised 4 spans, one river span of 300 feet (90m) and 3 land spans of 100 feet (32m).'The railway decks were suspended from diagonal chains hung from two 9' (3m) diameter wrought iron tubes. These rested on two masonry towers on the Gloucester side and corresponding towers of cast-iron plates supported by 6 cylinders in the river.' The project brought new industry to the town including Edward Finch and Thomas Willey from Liverpool who constructed the ironwork. The works nearby continued in use subsequently for bridge building now within the Fairfield-Mabey yard. The river span was dismantled and replaced in 1962 by welded trusses; the horizontal girders of the land spans were renewed in 1948 after partial collapse. only the piers beneath the land spans and the massive SW abutment remain of Brunel's original design. Piers are concrete-filled. SW abutment echoes the shape of the former portal towers at each end of the river span. Now carries railway bridge of 1962.
Exterior
Railway abutment and piers. Abutment against the embankment is of coursed dressed pale stone and comprises two tall segmental arches, the central pier with impost block and the outer pair with cornices; recessed coursed rock-faced local stone facing to the embankment within the arches and to the angled sides with freestone coping. The piers comprise three groups, in turn comprising a group of 3 pairs in the river and two groups of 3 single piers on the bank. All are of metal and painted, they have metal bands and cushion caps; the river group are clasped together at base and reinforced with short columns and metal braces.
Interior
Reason for designation
Piers and abutment are listed as the vestigial remains of Brunel's important mid C19 tubular railway suspension bridge.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
Export