GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh2661

Under the north end of Snow Hill station a bridge in the railway viaduct crosses over Lionel Street and here in 1906 some unusual construction features were incorporated in order to give sufficient headroom to the side entrances. According to an article in the GWR magazine, it was specified that all the viaduct arches must have access to the streets so that they could be leased for workshops, stores, shops etc.

At the time of construction, this feature was always referred to as ‘bonnet arches’. In order to save having very specially formed bricks at the point of intersection of the two arch surfaces, the end face of the under arch is in one plane. By this means the whole of the bricks have the usual square ends and the building work was much simplified. It would however have one weakness, viz a straight joint where the straight joins the curved, but this was obviated by making the back all of concrete, the face being only half a brick thick.

GWR Magazine (May 1934)

Robert Ferris

back