Civic society objects to removal of 'unique' timber canopy over Victorian railway footbridge

Network Rail wants to make “significant strengthening” and alterations to the Grade II listed bridge at Beverley Station, which is “structurally failing”, and says its removal is “unavoidable”.

The station opened in 1846, to the design of architect George Townsend Andrews for the York and North Midland Railway, with later additions and alterations for the North Eastern Railway (NER).

The NER footbridge has cast-iron elements and timber steps, and was designed to be easily transported and bolted together onsite.

It is likely to have gone up in 1884, with the canopy - which is the only example of its design - added around five years later.

In planning documents, Network Rail admits that taking the canopy down will significantly affect the appearance of the bridge, but say having considered a number of other options “the loss is unavoidable”.

No home has been found for it yet, with both the North Yorks Moors Railway and the National Railway Museum declining the canopy as it would be counter-productive to cover their own footbridges, which are used as vantage points to view and photograph trains.

Historic England say its loss is “regrettable, but necessary to deliver a safe structure”.

But Beverley Civic Society say the bridge has suffered a “disappointing lack of maintenance over the years” and is concerned at the loss of a “unique period structure”, which will also expose passengers to the elements when crossing the line. They add: “Should the wooden canopy be beyond repair, surely with imagination some sort of sympathetic superstructure from modern materials could be installed.”

The Beverley footbridge, along with ones at Cottingham and Filey, are the last survivors on the Hull & Scarborough line, and among only a few still in use across the country.