Charlton Viaduct

Last updated

Charlton Viaduct
Charlton Viaduct.jpg
Coordinates 51°11′22″N2°32′00″W / 51.1895°N 2.5334°W / 51.1895; -2.5334 Coordinates: 51°11′22″N2°32′00″W / 51.1895°N 2.5334°W / 51.1895; -2.5334
Carries Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Crosses River Sheppey
Locale Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England
Heritage statusGrade II* listed building
Characteristics
MaterialStone and brick
Total length317 yards (290 m)
Height45 feet (14 m)
No. of spans27
History
Construction start1870s
Opened1874
Closed1966
Location
Charlton Viaduct

Charlton Viaduct is a disused railway bridge in Shepton Mallet within the English county of Somerset. It is a Grade II* listed building. [1]

Contents

The bridge was built in the 1870s to carry the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. It carried the railway over the River Sheppey. Originally the stone bridge carried a single railway track but was widened to carry a second track in 1892 using red bricks. [2]

It consists of 27 segmental arches each of which has a span of 28 feet (8.5 m). [3] [4] It is on a curve of 30 chains (600 m) radius falling at 1 in 55 from each end to the midpoint. [5] To cope with the curve the arches are strengthened by pilasters. [6]

It can be seen from the grounds of Kilver Court where it forms a feature.

See also

Related Research Articles

Shepton Mallet Town in Somerset, England

Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some 16 miles (26 km) south-west of Bath, 18 miles (29 km) south of Bristol and 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based there. The Mendip Hills lie to the north and the River Sheppey runs through the town, as does the route of the Fosse Way, the main Roman road between north-east and south-west England. There is evidence of Roman settlement. Its listed buildings include a medieval parish church. Shepton Mallet Prison was England's oldest, but closed in March 2013. The medieval wool trade gave way to trades such as brewing in the 18th century. It remains noted for cider production. It is the closest town to the Glastonbury Festival and nearby the Royal Bath and West of England Society showground.

East Somerset Railway

The East Somerset Railway is a 2+12-mile (4 km) heritage railway in Somerset, running between Cranmore and Mendip Vale. Prior to the Beeching Axe, the railway was once part of the former Cheddar Valley line that ran from Witham to Yatton, meeting the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Wells.

Pensford Human settlement in England

Pensford is the largest village in the civil parish of Publow in Somerset, England. It lies in the affluent Chew Valley, approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of Bristol, 8 miles (13 km) west of Bath and 14 miles (23 km) north of Wells. It is on the A37 road from Bristol to Shepton Mallet.

Windsor Railway Bridge

Windsor Railway Bridge is a wrought iron 'bow and string' bridge in Windsor, Berkshire, crossing the River Thames on the reach between Romney Lock and Boveney Lock. It carries the branch line between Slough and Windsor.

Ditcheat Human settlement in England

Ditcheat is a village and civil parish 4.5 miles (7 km) south of Shepton Mallet, and 2.5 miles (4 km) north-west of Castle Cary, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. Besides the village, the parish has four hamlets: Wraxall, Lower Wraxall, Alhampton and Sutton.

Doulting Human settlement in England

Doulting is a village and civil parish 1.5 miles (2 km) east of Shepton Mallet, on the A361, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England.

The Mendip Way is an 80-kilometre (50 mi) long-distance footpath across the Mendip Hills from Weston-super-Mare to Frome. It is divided into two sections.

London Road viaduct Bridge in Brighton, UK

The London Road Viaduct is a brick railway viaduct in Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England. It carries the East Coastway Line between Brighton and London Road railway stations. Built in the 1840s for the Brighton, Lewes and Hastings Railway by the locomotive engineer and railway architect John Urpeth Rastrick, the sharply curving structure has 27 arches and about 10 million bricks. It is still in constant use, and is listed at Grade II* for its historical and architectural significance.

River Irwell Railway Bridge

The River Irwell Railway Bridge was built for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway (L&MR), the world's first passenger railway which used only steam locomotives and operated as a scheduled service, near Water Street in Manchester, England. The stone railway bridge, built in 1830 by George Stephenson, was part of Liverpool Road railway station. The bridge was designated a Grade I listed building on 20 June 1988.

Martholme Viaduct Multi-arched rail viaduct over a river

Martholme Viaduct is a 19th-century railway viaduct in the English county of Lancashire. It lies between the town of Great Harwood and the village of Read, and lies in both the district of Hyndburn and that of Ribble Valley. The viaduct was constructed 1870–77 by engineer Sturges Meek. It was built to carry the Great Harwood Loop of the East Lancashire Line over the River Calder. That part of the line closed in 1957.

Pensford Viaduct

Pensford Viaduct is a disused railway bridge in the village of Pensford within the historic English county of Somerset now unitary authority Bath and North East Somerset. It is a Grade II listed building.

Meldon Viaduct Bridge in United Kingdom

Meldon Viaduct carried the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) across the West Okement River at Meldon on Dartmoor in Devon, South West England. The truss bridge, which was constructed from wrought iron and cast iron not stone or brick arches, was built under the direction of the LSWR's chief engineer, WR Galbraith. After taking three years to build, the dual-tracked bridge opened to rail traffic in 1874. Usage was limited to certain classes of locomotive because the viaduct had an axle load limit. Although regular services were withdrawn in 1968, the bridge was used for shunting by a local quarry. In the 1990s the remaining single line was removed after the viaduct was deemed to be too weak to carry rail traffic.

Chester Burn Viaduct

Chester Burn viaduct is a railway viaduct in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England. It is an imposing structure, dominating the marketplace and north end of the town. It carries the East Coast Main Line, the main railway from Newcastle to London. Chester-le-Street station on that line is just south of the viaduct. It is a Grade II listed structure.

Chappel Viaduct Railway viaduct in Essex, England

The Chappel Viaduct is a railway viaduct that crosses the River Colne in the Colne Valley in Essex, England. It carries the Gainsborough Line which now is a short branch linking Marks Tey in Essex to Sudbury in Suffolk. The line previously, however, extended to Shelford in Cambridgeshire.

Kilver Court

Kilver Court is an historic house and gardens in Shepton Mallet in the English county of Somerset. The River Sheppey powered textile mills and it later became a factory, the headquarters of the Showerings brewing business, and then the headquarters of a leather-goods manufacturer, Mulberry. It is now used as a shopping centre.

Lambley Viaduct

Lambley Viaduct is a stone bridge across the River South Tyne at Lambley in Northumberland. Formerly a railway bridge, it remains open to pedestrians but one end of the viaduct has been fenced off.

The Goulburn Viaduct is a heritage-listed railway bridge that carries the Main Southern railway line across the Mulwaree River at Goulburn, in the Goulburn Mulwaree Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built in 1915. It is also known as Mulwaree River Railway Viaduct. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Stanwell Creek railway viaduct

The Stanwell Creek railway viaduct is a heritage-listed railway bridge on the Illawarra railway line at Stanwell Park, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the New South Wales Government Railways and built in 1920 by day labour. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Bowenfels rail viaducts

The Bowenfels rail viaducts are a series of heritage-listed railway viaducts and railway bridges over Farmers Creek on the Main Western line in Bowenfels, City of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed in two stages, by John Whitton as the Engineer-in-Chief for Railways, in 1870; and by engineering staff of New South Wales Government Railways in 1921; and was built from 1870 to 1921. It is also known as Farmers Creek viaducts. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The viaduct are located approximately 159 kilometres (99 mi) west of Central railway station.

Glebe and Wentworth Park railway viaducts

The Glebe and Wentworth Park railway viaducts are a series of two adjacent heritage-listed railway bridges and arch viaducts that carry the Inner West Light Rail across Wentworth Park, Jubilee Park, and Johnstons Creek in the inner western Sydney suburb of Glebe in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. They were designed by the New South Wales Government Railways and built from 1892 to 1922 by day labour. They are also known as Wentworth Park Viaduct, Jubilee Park Viaduct and Glebe Viaducts. The viaducts were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

References

  1. "Charlton Viaduct". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  2. "Shepton Mallet Viaducts". Southern E-Group. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  3. "Charlton Viaduct". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  4. "Charlton Viaduct". Engineering Timelines. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  5. Otter, R.A. (1994). Civil Engineering Heritage: Southern England. London: Thomas Telford Ltd. p. 110. ISBN   978-0-7277-1971-3.
  6. "Charlton Viaduct". Forgotten Relics. Retrieved 21 October 2016.