Summary

Spon End Viaduct, a bridge a quarter of a mile long, carrying the Coventry and Nuneaton Railway over the road and River Sherbourne at Spon End, was built between 1848 and 1849. In 1857 23 of the 28 arches collapsed and rebuilding may not have finished until 1860, when the line was fully re-opened.

Monument Type(s):

• RAILWAY BRIDGE (Built, Victorian - 1848 AD to 1860 AD)

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: Spon End Conservation Area

Full description

1> Viaduct.
2> Brick arches; carries Coventry/Nuneaton railway line over road.
3> Originally built in 1848-49, with 28 stone arches, each 48 foot span, a quarter of a mile long. The stone came from Conduit Meadows, possibly from the quarry seen adjacent to the newly built Coundon Road Station on the 1851 Board of Health map. This may have allowed the stone to be transported along the partially constructed railway line to the nearby viaduct site. 23 of the 28 arches collapsed in January 1857. Poole says that 'after the accident the viaduct was restored without delay', but the Victoria History of the County of Warwick, Volume 8 says the line was not fully reopened until 1860. The rebuilt arches are constructed of blue brick. The viaduct, with the wide, bold spans of its arches and its dramatic scale, is a prominent and well-known local landmark.

<1> Singlehurst M, 1996, Monument Protection Programme - Bridges, - (-CORRESPONDENCE). SCT636.

<2> City Engineers Department, Coventry City Council, 1996, Bridge Record System, 2043 (--MONOGRAPH). SCT658.

<3> Coventry City Council, 1996-2004, City of Coventry Local List of Buildings (-INDEX). SCT1901.

Sources and Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Related records: none recorded

Images

Spon End Viaduct © Coventry City Council

Spon End Viaduct in the 1950s © Coventry City Council

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