When the Great Northern Railway arrived in Derby to challenge the mighty Midland in the 1870s, it crossed the city roughly at right angles to the existing line, incurring much expense on engineering works. Its station was sited on the fashionable Georgian Friar Gate, much more convenient for the town centre than that of the Midland. In general use, the street name has two words, but railway references omit the space.

The residents were keen that the new railway should not spoil the ambience of the area and the Great Northern rose to the challenge by commissioning the local foundry of Andrew Handyside to produce a pair of spectacular double-track arched bridges with rich ornamentation and handsome stone abutments. The bridges cross Friar Gate at a slight angle, separating towards the south-western end due to the adjacent station’s island platform. The outer tracks served the excursion platforms, but it seems these were rarely used.

As Friar Gate is a main arterial route, it was provided with a tram line and later with trolley buses. To accommodate the double-deck vehicles and the wires, the road under the bridge was lowered. The approach viaduct to the north-east is said to have inspired Flanagan & Allen’s song Underneath the Arches.

Due mainly to falling revenues from coal movement, the line closed in May 1968. Although the section to the west of Friar Gate was retained for use by British Rail Research, this did not include the bridge. The test track was cut back to Mickleover in the early 1970s and closed completely in 1989.

The bridge is now owned by Derby City Council and although it was cosmetically restored to a high standard, it has since fallen into disrepair and is now swathed in safety netting. A vigorous local campaign group, the Friends of Friargate Bridge, is now pressing for a full restoration and a secure future for the structure. In April 2015, the council allocated £260,000 towards this aim, with a view to obtaining substantial further funding from the National Lottery.