Bury St. Edmunds Station and Bridge
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Daily but see railway timetables or telephone 0845 600 7245.
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Visit websiteDesigned by Sancton Wood (the architect also of Ipswich and Cambridge railway stations as well as many stations in Ireland, the principal of which is Heuston Station, Dublin), the station was formally inaugurated in November 1847, eleven months after the opening of the Eastern Union Railway's line from Ipswich.
The most noteworthy feature of the station, which is constructed of red brick with stone dressings, is a pair of Baroque towers (originally linked by an overall roof, removed in 1893) on either side of the tracks at the eastern end of the layout. The long facade is in Tudor style with oriel windows, diamond patterned brick work, moulded chimney stacks, and Dutch gables. As first built it was a terminus with four tracks, although in practice only one platform was used before the line was extended to Newmarket in 1854. Today a wide space separates the two surviving through tracks, which serve Platform 1 (for trains from Ipswich) and Platform 2 (called at by those heading east).
The semi-elliptical brick arch bridge over Northgate Road to the east of the station, which like the station building is a Grade II listed building, has been credited to Frederick Barnes and Charles Russell, though the senior engineer was Joseph Locke. Jack Simmons called it 'the finest bridge of any kind in Suffolk'. its massive appearance is in part due to the low point of springing.
By Road: Both station and bridge are close together on the northern side of the town. Station Hill is off the A1101.
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Forgotten Relics - Listed Bridges and Viaducts