Neidpath Viaduct

Neidpath Viaduct
Peeblesshire
Neidpath skew viaduct
Location
Carrying:	Footpath
Crossing:	River Tweed
Location
Grid reference:	NT232401
Location:	55°38’57"N, 3°13’15"W
Structure
Main span:	Eight equal spans of 32' 6"
Design:	Skew viaduct
Material:	Sandstone
History
Information

Neidpath Viaduct, also known as the Queen's Bridge, consists of eight stone skew arches and was built to carry the Symington to Peebles branch line of the Caledonian Railway over the River Tweed to the south-west of Neidpath Castle.

The viaduct is now closed to rail traffic and the bridge is used as a footpath.

History

The Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway's extension to Peebles was authorised on 3 July 1860 but by the time construction was complete the company had been absorbed by the much larger Caledonian Railway.

The bridge was designed by Robert Murray, a local architect living in Peebles, and George Cunningham, Consultant Engineer to the Caledonian Railway, and built of sandstone ashlar blocks. All eight arches are semicircular, skewed and constructed with helical courses, crossing the Tweed obliquely with four of the piers in the water, and the whole structure is built on a graceful curve of radius 440 yards so as to align the route with nearby Neidpath Tunnel, at the eastern end of the viaduct and to the south of Neidpath Castle.

The similar but smaller Lyne Viaduct is located a little to the west and is often confused with this bridge.

On 1 January 1923 ownership of the viaduct, along with the rest of the Caledonian Railway, passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and thence to the Scottish region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. The line lost its regular passenger traffic on 5 June 1950 and closed completely on 7 June 1954. It is now listed as a Category A listed structure, as it is one of the finest examples of skew arch construction in Britain. The old railway line has been converted into a footpath, which therefore crosses the river on the viaduct. The viaduct remains open to walkers and its picturesque setting is popular with ramblers.

Pictures

The northern face of the viaduct   The southern face of the viaduct showing the helical courses   The footpath across the viaduct, towards the Neidpath Tunnel   The footpath across the viaduct from the eastern, winter

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Neidpath Viaduct)

References

Bridges and crossings on the River Tweed
Stobo Bridge	Lyne Footbridge	Manor Bridge	Neidpath Viaduct	Fotheringham Footbridge	Tweed Bridge	Priorsford Footbridge