Wickham Bishops timber trestle railway viaduct

Summary

A timber viaduct orientated north to south, crossing the River Blackwater, and the Wickham Mill leat. Dating to 1847 Wickham Bishops is the only known surviving example of a timber trestle railway viaduct.

Reasons for Designation

The Wickham Bishops Timber Trestle Railway Viaduct, designed and built in 1847 by Thomas Jackson for the Eastern Counties Railways, is scheduled for the following principal reasons:

* Rarity: as the only known surviving example of a timber trestle railway viaduct in England;

* Survival: despite some loss and decay the standing and buried remains are considered to survive well;

* Potential: the buried remains have the potential to improve our knowledge and understanding of the structure and its construction during the period of 'railway mania';

* Fragility: constructed in timber, the remains of the structure are vulnerable to decomposition, particularly the buried remains, which are considered to survive as buried deposits.

History

After the opening of the London to Colchester line by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) in 1843, local interests in Maldon proposed a branch line connecting Maldon to Braintree, crossing the ECR's main line at Witham. It was predicted that £200,000 would be enough for the construction.

The Maldon and Braintree branch was authorised in the Maldon, Witham, and Braintree Railway Act of 1846. Plans were formulated and deposited in 1845, and in the 1846 parliamentary session, the bill for the Maldon, Witham and Braintree Railway (MW & BR) was passed, gaining royal assent on 18 June 1846. The Act authorised the construction of a double-track railway from Maldon to Braintree, passing through Heybridge, Langford, Wickham Bishops, Witham, Faulkbourne, White Notley, and Bulford.

The Eastern Counties Railways, controlled by George Hudson, saw the strategic advantage of the branches. On 10 September 1846, the ECR offered to purchase the unconstructed railway for £6,300 with a bonus of 10 shillings per share. The MW&BR accepted the offer and the takeover was authorised by an Act on 2 July 1847.

In March 1847, Thomas Jackson of Pimlico was awarded the contract. The construction was kept as cheap as possible, using timber for many bridges and minimal station accommodation. Wickham Bishops viaduct is one of these structures.

The line opened in August 1848 as a double-track railway but received less traffic than anticipated, and in 1850, the second track was removed and reused on the Colchester main line. In 1862, the Great Eastern Railway (GER) was formed by amalgamating companies, including the ECR. The line was extended south to Woodham Ferrers in 1889, but this extension proved unpopular and was closed by 1939.

Diesel multiple unit (DMU) vehicles started operating on the lines from 14 June 1956. Due to light passenger traffic on the Witham to Maldon line and the Braintree branch, low-cost train operations were considered. Diesel railbuses, which had been successfully used in Germany, were introduced on these lines starting on 7 July 1958.

In June 1963, DMU trains began to operate but financial losses from passenger operations were deemed unacceptable, and passenger services were discontinued on 7 September 1964. Goods services continued until 18 April 1966, after which the line was closed completely. After 1966, a stub of the branch line at Witham was used to serve an industrial site for steel deliveries, but this section closed in the early 1980s.

The Wickham Bishops Timber Trestle Viaduct was designed and built in 1847 by Thomas Jackson for the Eastern Counties Railways. It was constructed at a time of railway mania in England. The viaduct was built to carry the railway across the River Blackwater to the east of Witham and the Wickham Mill leat. To expedite construction, the viaduct and five others along the line were built quickly and inexpensively. Consequently, Jackson chose to construct the viaducts from timber and use the trestle design for sound construction. Of the five only the viaduct at Wickham Bishop survives.

The 1874 OS map shows the viaduct as a single track with two spans measuring approximately 240m in length starting around 50m south of Mill Cottage, extending to around 135m north of the mill race. At some point in the early-mid C20, the stretch north of the mill race was encased within an embankment, which was thought to add stability to the viaduct. In the mid C20 two openings were cut through the embankment to allow access from Wickham Place to land east of the viaduct.

The viaduct remained in use for the MWBR Branch Line until at least the 1980s when the line was closed. The viaduct was scheduled in 1983 and purchased by Essex County Council in 1987. In 1997, the council carried out repairs, replacing some timbers and repairing others. Further repairs were carried out in 2023. The sleepers and rails have been removed from the embanked section with some being reused for repairs to the visible sections of the viaduct.

Details

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: a timber viaduct orientated north to south, crossing the River Blackwater, and the Wickham Mill leat. The structure was part of the Braintree to Maldon branch line, built to carry freight and passengers inland from the port at Maldon. The line was operational between 1848 and 1966 although it closed to passenger traffic in 1964.

DESCRIPTION: the site lies at the foot of a wide valley and although originally a single span is now visible as two separate spans; the northern span crosses a mill race, and the southern span crosses the River Blackwater. At some point before 1950 the stretch north of the Mill Race was embanked. The viaduct is 7m wide at its narrowest point and 30m wide at its widest and around 2.5m to 3m from the ground surface.

The north, exposed, standing section consists of three major trestles, constructed from heavy composite timber beams: one on each bank of the mill race and one positioned in the middle. Additionally, there are subsidiary trestles located on the banks. Timber beams link the trestles, with one beam located under each rail and one at each end. The beams are overlaid with timber sleepers. The rail level is approximately 3m above the mill race and the overall length of this section is approximately 36m. Each trestle is supported by C20 concrete piles, put in place to aid future conservation of the monument.

The southern, exposed section across Blackwater is around 50m in length and consists of 11 trestles each about 5m apart, The rail level in this section is around 5m above ground level. The main beams that carry the railway lines are constructed as double beams, one beam on top of the other and are reinforced with braces to accommodate the increased span over the river. A significant number of sleepers are missing from this section, and some have succumbed to rot.

Beyond the northern section, the viaduct continued north for a further 120m, this section survives as an earthen embankment with the trestles potentially buried inside.

EXCLUSIONS: all fencing is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath is included. The two C20 openings, cut through the embankment to allow access from Wickham Place to land east of the viaduct are also excluded from the scheduling, although the ground above, is included. This is considered necessary to support the preservation of the monument.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

EX 217

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Books and journals
Peter, Paye, Branch Lines to Maldon (2016),
Ernest, Carter, An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles (1959),

End of official list entry