Coat of Arms Bridge

The Coat of Arms Bridge is a grade II listed structure on the Coventry–Leamington Spa railway line in the Stivichall area of Coventry in the West Midlands of England. The bridge was built by R.B. Dockray for the London and Birmingham Railway 1844 and spans Coat of Arms Bridge Road on the edge of the city's War Memorial Park.[1][2]

Coat of Arms Bridge
Coat of Arms Bridge, central span
CarriesCoventry to Leamington Line
CrossesCoat of Arms Bridge Road
LocaleStivichall, Coventry, England
OwnerNetwork Rail
Heritage statusGrade II listed building
Characteristics
MaterialRed sandstone
No. of spans3
History
ArchitectR.B. Dockray
Opened1844

The bridge is built of red sandstone, and formed of a semi-elliptical central span with two smaller supporting arches which were widened in 1916. The bridge takes its name from the prominent shield above the central span which bears the coat of arms of the Gregory family of Stivichall Manor.[1]

A similar bridge, an accommodation bridge connecting two fields, exists further down the railway line near Kenilworth.[1] This bridge, also of stone constructions, bears two coats of arms—that of Chandos Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh (the landowner) on one side and the combined coat of arms of his wife and mother-in-law on the other.[3]

The bridge became a listed building in 1955.[4] A painting of the bridge by Herbert John Rylance, painted circa 1900, hangs in the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry city centre.[5]

References
  1. Biddle, Gordon. Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures (Second ed.). Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 377–378. ISBN 9780711034914.
  2. W.B. Stephens (Editor) (1969). "The City of Coventry: The outlying parts of Coventry: Stivichall". A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 3 October 2014.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  3. Biddle, Gordon. Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures (Second ed.). Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 371–372. ISBN 9780711034914.
  4. Historic England. "COAT OF ARMS BRIDGE (1342924)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  5. "Coat of Arms Bridge, Styvechale, Coventry". Art UK. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
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