Lambley Viaduct

Last updated

Lambley Viaduct
South Tyne Lambley Viaduct 6173.JPG
Lambley Viaduct
Coordinates 54°55′08″N2°30′31″W / 54.9190°N 2.5085°W / 54.9190; -2.5085
OS grid reference NY675584
Carries
Crosses River South Tyne
Locale Northumberland
Preceded byEals Footbridge
Followed by Lambley Footbridge
Characteristics
MaterialStone
Total length260 m (850 ft)
Width3.5 m (11 ft)
HeightAt least 33 m (108 ft)
No. of spans9
Piers in water3
History
DesignerProbably Sir George Barclay Bruce [1]
Construction end1852
Opened1852 (1852)
Closed3 May 1976 (1976-05-03), as a railway
TypeGrade II listed building
Designated23 August 1985 [1]
Reference no.1042918
Location
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.

History

A train crossing the viaduct in September 1973 Lambley viaduct and Metro Cammell dmu.jpg
A train crossing the viaduct in September 1973

Lambley viaduct crosses the River South Tyne as a series of elegant stone arches. More than 260 m (850 ft) long, it once carried the Haltwhistle to Alston railway. The railway, which was opened in 1852 to haul coal and lead from the Alston mines, closed in 1976, and the viaduct was allowed to decay. [2] In 1991 the British Rail Property Board agreed to repair the viaduct and hand it over to the North Pennine Heritage Trust which would maintain it in the future; however the Trust went into administration in 2011. [3]

The viaduct was probably designed by George Barclay Bruce, [1] a Victorian engineer who was involved in the Alston line before leaving for India to pioneer railway construction there. It is a particularly elegant example of Victorian engineering: the river is crossed by nine 17-metre (56 ft) wide arches which support a deck at least 33 m (108 ft) above the river [1] but, as it carried a single rail track, only 3.5 m (11 ft) wide. The piers to the arches are built of massive rough-faced stones each weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb), with similar-sized stones in ashlar to the main arch voussoirs. The spandrels and piers to the 6-metre (20 ft) wide approach arches are built of coursed rubble masonry. [4]

One end of the viaduct has been fenced off, after the path was diverted in 2004 to pass further away from Lambley railway station, which is now a private house. [4]

It is a Grade II* listed structure. [1]

Related Research Articles

South Tynedale Railway

The South Tynedale Railway is a preserved, 2 ft narrow gauge heritage railway in Northern England and at 875ft is England's second highest narrow gauge railway after the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in north Devon. The South Tynedale line runs from Alston in Cumbria, down the South Tyne Valley, via Gilderdale, Kirkhaugh and Lintley, then across the South Tyne, Gilderdale and Whitley Viaducts to Slaggyford in Northumberland.

Haltwhistle Human settlement in England

Haltwhistle is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, 10 miles (16 km) east of Brampton. It had a population of 3,811 at the 2011 Census.

Royal Border Bridge

The Royal Border Bridge spans the River Tweed between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth in Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed railway viaduct built between 1847 and 1850, when it was opened by Queen Victoria. The engineer who designed it was Robert Stephenson. It was built for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway and is still in regular use today, as part of the East Coast Main Line. Despite its name, the bridge does not in fact span the border between England and Scotland, which is approximately three miles further north.

Haltwhistle railway station Railway station in Northumberland, England

Haltwhistle is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 22 miles 66 chains east of Carlisle, serves the market town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Wylam Railway Bridge

Wylam Railway Bridge is a footbridge and former railway bridge crossing the River Tyne at Hagg Bank, approximately 12 mile (0.8 km) west of Wylam in Northumberland, England.

Ouse Valley Viaduct Viaduct carrying the London-Brighton Railway Line over the River Ouse in Sussex, UK

The Ouse Valley Viaduct carries the London-Brighton Railway Line over the River Ouse in Sussex. It is located to the north of Haywards Heath and to the south of Balcombe. Known for its ornate design, the structure has been described as "probably the most elegant viaduct in Britain."

Alston line Partially operational railway line in Cumbria and Northumberland

The Alston Line was a 13-mile (21 km) single-track branch line, which linked Haltwhistle in Northumberland with Alston in Cumbria.

Stockport Viaduct

Stockport Viaduct carries the West Coast Main Line across the valley of the River Mersey in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is one of the largest brick structures in the United Kingdom and a major structure of the early railway age.

Victoria Viaduct

Victoria Viaduct, originally known as the Victoria Bridge, is a stone arch rail viaduct spanning the River Wear about 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of Washington in North East England. It was built as part of the Durham Junction Railway under the supervision of Thomas Elliot Harrison.

Alston railway station Station in Cumbria on the South Tynedale Railway

Alston is a heritage railway station on the South Tynedale Railway. The station, situated 13 miles (21 km) south of Haltwhistle, is in the market town of Alston, Eden in Cumbria, England.

Lambley, Northumberland Human settlement in England

Lambley, formerly known as Harper Town, is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Coanwood, in Northumberland, England about four miles (6 km) southwest of Haltwhistle. The village lies adjacent to the River South Tyne. In 1951 the parish had a population of 298. The place name Lambley refers to the "pasture of lambs". Lambley used to be the site of a small convent of Benedictine Nuns, founded by Adam de Tindale and Heloise, his wife, in the 12th century. The Scots led by William Wallace devastated it in 1296 [Rowland gives 1297]. However it was restored and one William Tynedale was ordained priest to the nunnery in about 1508 – most likely not William Tyndale, the reformer, as once believed but another man of the same name. At the time of the suppression of religious houses by Henry VIII, the nunnery contained six inmates. Nothing now remains but the bell from the nunnery, which hangs in the church, and a few carved stones. The village lies in the Midgeholme Coalfield and there are reserves of good-quality coal remaining.

Tyne Valley line Railway line in north of England

The Tyne Valley Line is a 58-mile (93 km) route, linking Newcastle upon Tyne with Hexham and Carlisle. The line follows the course of the River Tyne through Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Five stations and two viaducts on the route are listed structures.

Featherstone Park railway station Disused railway station in Northumberland, England

Featherstone Park was a railway station on the Alston Branch Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station, situated 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the villages of Featherstone and Rowfoot in Northumberland.

Lambley railway station Disused railway station in Northumberland, England

Lambley was a railway station on the Alston Branch Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station, situated 4+34 miles (8 km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the village of Lambley in Northumberland.

Newcastle & Carlisle Railway

The Newcastle & Carlisle Railway (N&CR) was an English railway company formed in 1825 that built a line from Newcastle upon Tyne on Britain's east coast, to Carlisle, on the west coast. The railway began operating mineral trains in 1834 between Blaydon and Hexham, and passengers were carried for the first time the following year. The rest of the line opened in stages, completing a through route between Carlisle and Gateshead, south of the River Tyne in 1837. The directors repeatedly changed their intentions for the route at the eastern end of the line, but finally a line was opened from Scotswood to a Newcastle terminal in 1839. That line was extended twice, reaching Newcastle Central station in 1851.

Alston Arches Viaduct

Alston Arches Viaduct, also known as Haltwhistle Viaduct, is a stone bridge across the River South Tyne at Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England.

Stonequarry Creek railway viaduct, Picton

Stonequarry Creek railway viaduct is a heritage-listed railway viaduct over the Stonequarry Creek located on the Main Southern railway in the south-western Sydney town of Picton in the Wollondilly Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Whitton as the Engineer-in-Chief for Railways and was built from 1863 to 1867 by Murnin and Brown. It is also known as Stonequarry Creek Railway Viaduct and Picton railway viaduct over Stonequarry Creek. 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.

Coanwood railway station Disused railway station in Northumberland, England

Coanwood was a railway station on the Alston Branch Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station, situated 4 miles (6 km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the village of Coanwood in Northumberland.

Slaggyford railway station Station in Northumberland on the South Tynedale Railway

Slaggyford was a railway station on the Alston Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station served the village of Slaggyford in Northumberland.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Historic England, "Railway Viaduct Across River South Tyne (Grade II*) (1042918)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 5 September 2018
  2. "River South Tyne - Lambley Viaduct". Bridges on the Tyne. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  3. "North Pennines Heritage Trust collapses". The Journal . Newcastle upon Tyne: Trinity Mirror. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2016. The trust, with 400 members and a team of volunteers, also owns Alston Arches and the Lambley Viaduct at Haltwhistle.
  4. 1 2 "Lambley Viaduct". Blacket-Ord Consulting Engineers. Archived from the original on 7 November 2002. Retrieved 4 December 2008.


Next bridge upstream River South Tyne Next bridge downstream
Eals Footbridge
Footbridge
Lambley Viaduct
Grid reference NY675584
Lambley Footbridge
Footbridge