Listing Text

949-1/0/10036

WILBURN STREET,
Girder Bridge leading to Railway viaduct over River Irwell leading to Lower Byrom Street Warehouse (that part in Salford)

20-FEB-07

GV

II

Railway bridge carrying branch of former Liverpool to Manchester railway over River Irwell. 1860s built by London and North Western Railway Company (L&NWR). Cast-iron beams, cast-iron column, cast-iron panels, cushion-rusticated sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: Built at an angle over the river to abut 1830 stone bridge on its south side, enabling the railway lines the two bridges carried to converge on the west, Salford side of the river. A trough of riveted cast-iron panels set on a framework of cast-iron beams. Supported at the midpoint of its north side by a single giant cast-iron column standing on a circular coursed stone plinth, and the midpoint and western half of its south side by the stone bridge into which the beams are set (the east half of the bridge is in City of Manchester). Bridge abutments of cushion-rusticated coursed sandstone with parapet and flat coping. Western abutment and bank retaining wall built against the north side of the stone bridge. Retaining wall with flat coping curves round and descends in height to terminate in a pier with shaped coping. Brick viaduct, with zig-zag north wall, built against east abutment (on Manchester side) leads to an iron bridge over Water Street from where a cast-iron colonnaded viaduct leads into Liverpool Road Station with Lower Byrom Street Warehouse built across its east end.

HISTORY: The viaduct and railway bridge form an integral component of the former Liverpool Road Station to the east (q.v.) (now The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester). The original 1830 complex was designed by the railway engineer George Stephenson, and is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world. In 1844 all passenger traffic ceased and Liverpool Road Station became a goods station, operated from 1846 by London and North Western Railway (L&NWR). In 1866 a major fire enabled the redevelopment of the eastern end of the site, and L&NWR decided to build a second viaduct to the north side of Stephenson's stone bridge and viaduct. The viaduct led to Grape Street Bonded Warehouse (now Granada Television) built in 1869 (viaduct branch not surviving), and to the eastern end of Liverpool Road Station, with Lower Byrom Street Warehouse built in 1880.

SOURCES
Information on Liverpool Road Station at www.msim.org.uk

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE
This is an 1860s iron railway bridge crossing the River Irwell. It is of special historic interest due to its forming an integral component of the second phase of Liverpool Road Station as a goods terminus. The development of the railways was crucial to the growth of industrial Manchester, and did much to strengthen the economic links between Manchester and Liverpool. The building of the bridge enabled the expansion of the handling capacity of the station by providing an additional route over the River Irwell leading directly to new purpose-built goods warehouses. Liverpool Road Station, was originally built in 1830 and is the world's oldest surviving passenger station. Subsequently, from 1844, it was solely used as a goods station. The bridge has strong Group Value with various railway structures and buildings. It is one of a group of three bridges over the Irwell, which also includes the original 1830 stone railway bridge which it abuts, and the bridge to the south, built in 1849 by MSJ&AR, which all converge on the west, Salford side of the river. It is linked to Liverpool Road Station by a viaduct and bridge over Water Street, as is the 1830 bridge, with the MSJ&AR line to the south linked by a viaduct to Deansgate Station to the east. It also has Group Value with the 1830 passenger station, 1830 warehouse, 1855 railway goods transfer shed (now Power Hall of MSIM), and 1880 Lower Byrom Street Warehouse, the buildings forming part of the former Liverpool Road Station. Therefore, this bridge is of sufficient special interest, in a national context, to merit listing at Grade II.