Grand Union Bridge Numbering

[John Brightley]

This query comes from the RCHS groups.io forum, and I wonder if any of you know the answer. As shown by the photos below, bridge 49 at Blisworth has an additional number 212A painted on the wing wall. What does this refer to ?

[Tony Brooks]

Just a thought, depending upon what is going over the bridge could this be a railway/local authority/Min of Transport number rather than a BW/CaRT one?

[magnetman]

Given that the bridge is called Station Road it does seem likely to be railway related. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

It is a road bridge, according to Canalplan. The next bridge, 49B is a railway bridge. There is no station now, but there was  once, plus a junction to a disused railway. https://streetmap.co.uk/map?x=472256&y=254409&z=0&sv=NN7+3DS&st=2&pc=NN7+3DS&mapp=map&searchp=ids

Could still be a railway infrastructure number, if Station Road was once owned and maintained by the railway.

[Captain Pegg]

I’ve noticed this and I’m pretty sure it’s numbered in the sequence of the bridges of the WCML suggesting that the responsibility for the bridge sits with Network Rail. I probably have the means to check this.

[PeterScott]

 

Wider view from 8May2023

 

[magnetman]

It makes sense if the bridge and road were constructed for the station that it would be a railway owned asset. 

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

Various railway infrastructure information is available online at www.railwaycodes.org.uk.

 

I wasn’t sure if it had bridge numbers and I’d have to resort to official means.
 

It is indeed a side bridge of the WCML at 62m 51ch from London Euston. However apparently now managed by the Highways Authority (isn’t that called something else these days?).

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[BEngo]

The Highways Authority is the body responsible for a particular bit of road.  Motorways and some Trunk Roads are looked after by the Highways Agency.  Most of the rest are looked after by  County Highways bodies ( e.g. Bucks Highways).  Some local roads get to be a Council responsibility.  Somd roads are the responsibility of the residents.

In this case it looks like Notwork Rail has shuffled the road and the bridge off to, probably, Northamptonshire Highways.

N

[Captain Pegg]

2 hours ago, BEngo said:

The Highways Authority is the body responsible for a particular bit of road.  Motorways and some Trunk Roads are looked after by the Highways Agency.  Most of the rest are looked after by  County Highways bodies ( e.g. Bucks Highways).  Some local roads get to be a Council responsibility.  Somd roads are the responsibility of the residents.

In this case it looks like Notwork Rail has shuffled the road and the bridge off to, probably, Northamptonshire Highways.

N

The Highways Agency is now National Highways, having been Highways England in the interim.

 

As a piece of non-operational infrastructure the bridge would not have transferred to Network Rail from the BRB at privatisation. Such assets were retained by BRB Residual until about a decade ago when they did transfer to NR. Hence I suspect the responsibility for this bridge has never sat with NR.

 

The main point is that it is a road overbridge and therefore best managed by the same authority as the highway it bears.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[John Brightley]

Thanks everyone for the responses to this, especially Jon Pegg. The railway origins of the number 212A have been confirmed by others on the RCHS forum. 

[Pluto]

Canal bridges were originally identified by a number, letter or name, though some had several alternate names over time. On nationalisation, there was a programme to identify which bridges were the responsibility of the canal authority, and which were came under railway or road authorities. There were also aqueducts for water supply, etc. On the surveys done in 1826/7 of the L&LC after it was completed, bridge names are used, with a consecutive numbering for bridges added in pencil, which dates from the 1950s survey. Subsequently, a review was done nationally of the type, condition and ownership of all bridges in the 1960s. From this, on the L&LC, those bridges owned by BW had a simple number, while those which were the responsibility of others used an additional letter added to the number of the nearest BW bridge on the Liverpool side. This was done by NW engineering, with a lock survey done by NE engineering, so lock numbers begin at Leeds.