Zeppelin ‘Discovery’ For HBPW Time Team!
28/01/2015 - posted in Bridges, Geoenvironmental, HBPW News, Rail
Bennerley Viaduct
HBPW was asked to carry out a feasibility study as part of the Bennerley Footbridge Replacement Scheme, which is being carried out by AMCO on behalf of Network Rail.
Jay Fox said: “The new bridge, which will help improve safety, is located close to the River Erewash and a former colliery site, between Awsworth in Nottinghamshire and Ilkeston in Derbyshire.
“As part of the studies for the scheme it was discovered that the site not only had a complicated mining history, but was also bombed by the German Navy during the Great Midlands Zeppelin Raid of 1916.”
On 31st January that year nine Zeppelin airships of the German Airship Naval Division conducted a bombing raid over the British Midlands.
One of these airships, the L.20 (LZ 59) based at Tondern in Schleswig – now part of Denmark – conducted a bombing raid in the area around the Bennerley Viaduct, dropping seven high-explosive bombs in the vicinity, one of which fell just to the north of the Viaduct on the Midland Railway line at Bennerley Junction, which served the local ironworks. Damage was caused to the Midland line but the Viaduct emerged unscathed.
Old Bennerley Footbridge being replaced
“We were all taken aback by this discovery,” said Jay. “Clearly this was a major local event of the time which has largely been forgotten about by most people but it was, nevertheless, a fascinating ‘re-discovery’ on our part.”
As part of the bridge replacement scheme a new Network Rail standard footbridge, located close to the Viaduct structure, will replace an existing wrought iron lattice footbridge deck structure. HBPW’s geoenvironmental engineering team was asked to carry out ground investigations in support of the civils and structural design by HBPW engineers.
The new footbridge main deck and associated staircases, will be founded on new piled foundations, which will be designed to suit local ground conditions, and the clearance beneath the new structure will be increased to allow adequate clearance for future electrification.
Zeppelin Airship LZ59