Smardale Gill Viaduct
| Smardale Gill Viaduct | |
| Westmorland | |
|---|---|
 Smardale Gill Viaduct | |
| Location | |
| Type: | Railway viaduct |
| Crossing: | Scandal Beck |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY72700691 |
| Location: | 54°27’25"N, 2°25’22"W |
| Structure | |
| Length: | 550 feet |
| Type: | Railway viaduct |
| History | |
| Built 1861 | |
| Information | |
The Smardale Gill Viaduct is a Victorian railway viaduct spanning Smardale in Westmorland, south-east of Smardale village; built to carry the railway line between the Lune Valley and Kirkby Stephen across the Scandal Beck. Though closed in the 1960s, it has since been reopened as a footpath bridge, carrying a minor footpath running north from Newbiggin-on-Lune.
The viaduct was completed in 1861 (and thus predating the Smardale Viaduct which still carries the Settle–Carlisle line over the river a mile to the north). It was designed by Sir Thomas Bouch for the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway and the construction contracted to Mr Wrigg, costing £11,928 to build.
Built of local stone, the viaduct has 14 arches, is 550 feet long and stands 90 feet high. The line across the viaduct remained single tracked despite the structure being wide enough for a double line.[1]
After the railway line closed in 1962, the viaduct fell into disrepair, and by the 1980s the structure had become dangerous and was to be demolished. At that point however the viaduct was listed as a structure of interest, and British Rail offered £230,000 (the estimated cost of demolition) towards its restoration. A charitable trust, the Northern Viaduct Trust was formed in 1989. The cost of repairs was £350,000 which included masonry repair, a new deck and waterproofing, and structural work to the viaduct.[2] In 1992 the restoration was complete, the viaduct being subsequently used for pedestrian access to Smardale Gill nature reserve.[3]
In 2010 after a harsh winter it was found that the viaduct had frost damage and required a further £30,000 of repairs.[4]
Today the viaduct remains a footway.
See also
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Smardale Gill Viaduct) |
References
- ↑ About Smardale Viaduct - Northern Viaduct Trust
- ↑ Burman, Peter; Stratton, Michael (1997), Conserving the railway heritage, "The challenge of disused railway viaducts", Charles Blackett-Ord, pp. 226–7
- ↑ "The Northern Viaducts Trust", www.nvt.org.uk, http://www.nvt.org.uk/, retrieved 29 November 2013
- ↑ 'Eden viaduct needs urgent repair' - The Westmorland Gazette 27 July 2010