Bath and Box rail restorations
Earlier this year work got underway to preserve two pieces of Brunel’s railway heritage – Sydney Gardens footbridge in Bath and the eastern entrance of Box Tunnel
Sydney Gardens footbridge renovation
Three months of painstaking renovations have been completed on the Grade II footbridge in Bath’s Sydney Gardens, preserving this iconic piece of railway heritage for future generations.
Constructed in around 1841 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the footbridge was in need of full refurbishment. This has now been completed with the bridge now returned to its former glory.
What was involved?
Refurbishment work began after scaffolding was installed and the footbridge was fully wrapped, allowing our team to work within an enclosed workspace, keeping dust and debris contained.
The work involved:
- Stripping rust and old paint from metalwork by grit blasting
- Completing metalwork repairs
- Priming and repainting the bridge in its original colour scheme
- Repairing damaged masonry on the abutments
- Replacing the rotten timber bridge deck.
Some vegetation management was required directly next to the bridge where it had caused damage to the brick work.
Box Tunnel east portal repairs
Construction of Box Tunnel was completed in 1841, spanning 1.83 miles in length. A feat of engineering at the time it remains an important piece of Brunel’s legacy and one of Britain’s most significant early railway tunnels.
In the spring we completed some vegetation management around the Grade II listed eastern tunnel entrance and installed scaffolding. This enabled us to complete surveys as well as some essential repairs to ensure stability.