1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



399 



arches, the masonry of which is in admirable keeping witli the character of 

 the surrounding landscape. The tunnel w hich passes under Godre-y-coed is 

 500 yards in length ; it was brilliantly illuminated for the occasion, and as 

 the company passed through it, preceded by the hand, the efl'ect pr.iduccdby 

 the echoes of its walls and roof, and the glare tif upwards of 2,500 lights, 

 ■R'as striking and novtd in the extreme. The line is differently constructed 

 from the Great Western, the company having, on account of the number of 

 curves which the face of the country rendered necessary, adopted the narrow- 

 gauge, and the rails being laid on chairs atfixed to transverse sleepers. The 

 travelling is easy, and will safely admit of a speed of from forty to fifty miles 

 per hour. The carriages, which are admirably constructed. weK' built by our 

 respected fellow-citizen, Mr. Walter Williams, and the two engines at present 

 on the line, the Tnff and the RhoniUa, by Messrs. Sliarp, Roberts, and Co., 

 of Manchester, — Bristol Mercury. 



Further Opetiing of the Manchester and Leeds Railway. — The first portion of 

 this line, which was opened in July, 1839, was a length of about fourteen 

 miles, from Manchester to L ttleborough ; and on Monday 5th ult., another 

 portion was opened, to the extent of 27J miles. This portion of the line 

 commences at Helxlen Bridge, about nine miles from Littleborough, and ter- 

 minates at Mormanton, where It joins the North Midland Railway, about 

 fifty miles from Manchester. — Manchester Guardian. The Leeds Mercury, in 

 noticing the further opening of this line of railway, says, — " We speak on 

 the highest authorily when we say, that this railway is the greatest triumph 

 of engineering science over the obstacles interposed by nature, presented 

 by any raihi ay in the kingdom. The high chain of liills which separates the 

 counties of York and Lancaster is only intersected by one valley, namely, the 

 valley of the C'alder, and that so narrow and winding, so lined with towns 

 and villages, and so preoccupied by the turnpike road, the river, and the 

 canal, as to make it exceedingly difficult to carry a railway through it. Yet, 

 by embankments and cuttings, oy removing rocks and building up arches, by 

 occasionally divertin" the river and the road- and often crossing both, by 

 piercing the hills witn short tunnels, and taking first one b.ide of the valley 

 and then the other, a line has been constructed not only capable of being 

 worked by locomotive engines, but of being easily and advantageously worked. 

 There are no objectionable curves, and there is not one gradient haring half 

 the inclination of those on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The line 

 is somewhat circuitous, and tliis is its only disadvantage ; a clisadvantage 

 which the speed of locomotive travelling reduces to iusignificance. The en- 

 gineer by wnom the line was planned, and under whose superintendenc it has 

 been executed, is the celebrated George Stephenson, whose genius and unpa- 

 ralleled works we have so often had occasion to notice witli high admiration. 

 Under him Mr. Gooch, one of his pupils. has been employed as resident engi- 

 engineer, and has displayed abilities equal to the execution of the greatest 

 undertakings. The managing director, who has given up his whole time to 

 the superintendence of the work, is Robert Gill, Esq., to whose remarkable 

 energy, zeal, and talent, the company are very greatly indebted for the com- 

 pletion of the work within so short a period." 



Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. — The railway from Cheltenham to 

 Gloucester is now completed, or at least one line of rails is permanently laid 

 down through the entire distance, and along these several experimental trips 

 have been made during the past week, wsth the most complete success. The 

 first of these took place on the 17th ult., and the furiher opening of the line 

 for the public will certainly take place on the day already announced, viz., 

 the 2nd of November. — Cheltenham Lool<er-on. 



PUBLIC BUII.DZNGS, AND iraPROVEMENTS. 



ROYAL EXCHANGE. 



This building appears at length likely to be commenced ; the following 

 tenders for the foundation were received, and that of Mr. Webb accepted. 

 Webb ..... 8124 



Grimsdale ..... 8738 6 



Cubitt ..... 8984 14 



Little i Son . . . . . 9423 1 8 



Warde 9586 17 



Piper 9979 16 4 



Grissell & Peto .... 10165 5 4 



Lee 10387 



Bridger .... 10627 6 8 



Baker & ?on .... 10932 3 4 



Bennett ..... 11181 9 6 



Winsland ..... 11302 6 8 



The New Riding-house ayid Stabling in Windsor Park. — This extensive build- 

 ing, the expense of which is to be defrayed by the Parliamentary grant of 

 seventy thousand pounds, is now fast approaching towards completion. .Some 

 delay has been occasioned in consequence of extensive alterations in the roof 

 of the stabling on the southern side of the riding-house having been sug- 

 gested by Prince Albert a short time since. The woodwork of the roof of this 

 portion of the building, which was then nearly completed, was observed by 

 his Royal Highness to be discernible (from the interior) through the windows 

 along the top of the south side of the riding-house ; and as this was con- 

 sidered to be an " eye-sore," and highly disapproved of the Prince, the build- 

 ing was unroofed and its height reduced upwards of three feet. The riding- 

 house is one of the most extensive in the Kingdom ; its dimensions being as 

 follows : — height, 38 feet; width, 52 feet ; and its length upwardsof 170 feet. 

 The frontage of the whole pile facing the Home Park is nearly 300 feet. 

 Numerous bed -rooms for the grooms and stable boys in the service of Her 

 Majesty have been erected over the riding-house. These are of very small 

 dimensions, many of them not being more than ten feet by nine. Their long 



line of windows extending the whole length of the roof, and discernible from 

 any point a view is oljtained of the building, tends considerably to detiMct 

 from the beauty and general harmony of the structure. Her Majesty and 

 Prince Albert, who have occasionally visited the riding-house and stables 

 during the progress of th.^ works, have expressed themselves much pleased 

 with the economy of the whole of the arrangements,— r/mes. 



Improrements on the E.xlerior nf the Jl/nnsi(i«-7io«se.— Scaffolding has been 

 erected in front of the Mansion-house by direclion of the General Purposes 

 Commiltee, for the purpose of repairing' the dilapidated masonry which has 

 exhibited itself in several parts of the building, which lias been vastly im- 

 proved in appearance by the frequent appheation of the Bank water engines. 

 The alteration is so great that the walls actually look in some parts as if they 

 were whitewashed. Tlie figures above the pillars, which had been for many 

 years completely hidden under a mass of soot and filth, are now objects of 

 striking interest. As they are in a measure new to the \isitors and even the 

 residents in the immediate neighbourhood, we shall briefly describe them. The 

 centre is occuped by a female figure supposed to represent the presiding pa- 

 troness or genius of the city of London. She holds in her right hand a spear. 

 Her left hand is resting on a shield sculptured with the city arms. She sup- 

 ports a small sculptured castellated tower on head, and is trampling on a 

 recumbent figure, representing her vanquished enemies. On her right hand 

 stands the Roman Lictor and a boy holding the cap of liberty. Tlie extreme 

 right hand angle of the tympamtm is occupied by a reprcs -ntation of the 

 superiority of the British empire on the seas Ijy a large roclining fisure of 

 Neptune, with his insignia as God of the ocean ; and the spaces are filled up 

 with an anchor and cable, &c. On the left of the centre is another female 

 figure, attended by two boys, bearing the olive branch in her right hand, and 

 pouring out abundance from cornucopise witlj her left ; the emb'ems of com- 

 merce occupy the extreme angle on the left side, with casks and bales of 

 goods. It has been considered the more necessary to make all practical im- 

 provements in the exterior of the Mansion-house, as the new Royal Exchange 

 will much sooner than it is generally expected begin to show itself. — Times. 



■StT^fr CHURCHES, arc 



Boston Wesleyan Centenary Chapel, erected from the design of Mr. .Stephen 

 Lewin. architect of Boston, is one hundred feet long, and seventy feet wide 

 between the walls, and is calcidated to seat two thousand five hundred per- 

 sons. The design of the front is Grsco Italian : a flight of steps forty -eight 

 feet long, and a colonnade of Ionic columns in antis, and towers at each end, 

 in whicli are constructed the grand staircases that communicate with the 

 gallery, having steps five feet long, and landings at each angle five feet 

 square ; above the staircase are rooms appropriated to the Wesleyan service. 

 There are two main entrances to the oody of the chapel through spacious 

 lobbies, with jib doors communicating with the aisles. The ground floor of 

 the chapel contains three divisions of pews, and the sides are provided with 

 free sittings, on each side of the communion is occupied by the schools ; the 

 pulpit is approached by two flights of stairs, at the back of the pulpit are 

 vestries with private enlrances to the same. The ceiling is forty feet high 

 froni the ground fluor, it is panneled with ornamented ventilators at the 

 angles, and a block cornice with panneled pilasters round the gallery, uniform 

 with pannels of ceiling; the divisions and doors of the pews, &c., next the 

 aisles are made of wainscot, framed and moulded ; the orchestra is formed 

 at the back of the gallery with private stairs and roum for the singers. — 

 The building and ground will cost upwardsof eight thousand pounds. 



St. Micliael's Church. Basingstoke. — Extensive alterations are being made in 

 this edifice, which is a fine specimen of the style of Parochial Church of the 

 rei.gn of Henry 6th. It is being entirely repaired and provided with new 

 galleries. &c. to accommodate fifteen humlred persons. The fittings through- 

 out will be of wainscot. The esiimated expense is upwards of two thousand 

 pounds, which has been raised by a liberal subscription in the town and neigh- 

 bourhood, with the Societies for church extension. Mr. J. B. Clacy, of Read- 

 ing, is the architect. The church is also undergoing extensive repairs, esti- 

 mated at fourteen hundred pounds, to effect wliich a vestry last week em- 

 powered the churchwardens to borrow one thousand pounds, in addition to a 

 previous rate of about five hundred pounds. This is an example worthy of 

 imitation by other parishes, where, from a fal e economy, memorials of an- 

 cient ecclesiastical architecture are fast mouldering to decay. 



Birmingham. — The ceremony of consecrating the church of St. Mathew, at 

 Ashted. t"he first of the proposed ten new churches to be erected in the town, 

 took place on the 20th ult., it is a spacious and commodious building of early 

 decorated Gothic architecture, built of brick, with dressings to the windows, 

 doors. &c. of Wedley Castle red stone, and also a spire of the same stone. It 

 contains about one thousand and fiftv sittings, including four hundred free 

 seats, without side galleries. It was designed by Mr. Thomas, the architect 

 of Leamington, w ho very handsomely presented a window of stained glass. 



Wolverhampton. — The ceremony of laying the first stone of St. Mary's 

 Church, wh ch. with the parsonage house and school attached, will be erected 

 at the sole expense of Miss llinckes, of Tettenhall, took place in the presence 

 of a very numerous concourse iof spectators, on Thursday last. The endow- 

 ment, which it is understood will ultimately amount to three hundred pounds, 

 and the site, are also the gift of the sameljenevolent lady ; the total cost of 

 the building is estimated at ten thousand pounds. — Midland Counties Herald. 



Great Haywood. — The consecration of St. Stephen's Chapel, recently erected 

 on a beautiful site given for the purpose by the Earl of Lichfield, in the 

 parish of Colwich, took place last month. It is of very beautiful construction, 

 and reflects great credit on the taste and ability of Mr. T. Trubshaw. by whom 

 ti was designefl. — Staffordshire Gazette. 



