Historic England Awards Grant to Repair the Remains of World’s First Iron Railway Bridge
Historic England has awarded Durham County Council £161,000 to repair and revitalise the remains of the world’s first iron railway bridge.
Completed in 1823, Gaunless Bridge was designed by ‘father of the railways’ George Stephenson and spanned the River Gaunless in West Auckland, in County Durham. Forming part of a line serving the Witton Park Colliery, it originally carried horse-drawn coal wagons, which were then replaced with steam locomotives in around 1833.
The bridge remained in use until 1901 when it was no longer able to take the weight of the increasingly heavy coal wagons.
Whilst the bridge was dismantled, the stone abutments supporting the structure remained in place and are now part of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Scheduled Monument. In recent years they have fallen victim to anti-social behaviour, which has affected their condition.
The grant from Historic England will be used to repair the abutments, which will support a new bridge deck that will form part of the new 26-mile Stockton and Darlington Railway Walking and Cycling route.
This project is part of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone: a five-year project focused on rejuvenating and restoring the 26-mile stretch of historic railway, helping realise its potential to become a major heritage attraction and visitor destination in the build-up to its 2025 bicentenary.
We are really pleased to be funding this restoration project through the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone. Gaunless Bridge has a significant role in the history of the railway and the repair of its abutments mark the first step in securing the bridge’s legacy as a part of the new Walking and Cycling Route.
