Leaderfoot Viaduct | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 55°36′16″N2°40′41″W / 55.60443°N 2.677939°W |
| Carries | Berwickshire Railway |
| Crosses | River Tweed |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Stone and brick |
| Longest span | 43 feet (13 m) |
| No. of spans | 19 |
| Clearance below | 126 feet (38 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 16 November 1863 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Leaderfoot Viaduct, also known as the Drygrange Viaduct, is a railway viaduct over the River Tweed near Melrose in the Scottish Borders.
The viaduct was opened on 16 November 1863 to carry the Berwickshire Railway, which connected Reston with St Boswells, via Duns and Greenlaw. [1]
The engineers of the railway were Charles Jopp and Wylie & Peddie. [2]
The railway was severely damaged by flooding during August 1948, with 7 bridges on the line failing, and the line closed to passenger traffic on 13 August 1948. [1] [3] Freight trains continued to run across the viaduct as far as Greenlaw until 19 July 1965.
In 1981, the poor condition of the viaduct meant that it was due to be demolished. [4] [5]
It was upgraded from Category B to A listing in 1986. [6] Historic Scotland took over control of the viaduct from British Rail in 1996. [7] [8]
The viaduct stands 126 feet (38 m) from the floor of the river valley. [2] The arches, each of 43 feet (13 m) span, are of brickwork, and the abutments, piers and walls are of rustic-faced red sandstone. Some later strengthening of the abutments and piers with old rails and buttresses on the southern valley side is very obvious. [2] It is straight over its whole course, and runs in a broadly northerly direction. [9]
The viaduct is in good condition, having been renovated between 1992 and 1995. [2] [6] Repairs included replacement of masonry and brickwork, grouting, and underwater repair to one of the cutwaters. [10]
It is near to the Roman settlement of Trimontium, which is to the south-west of the viaduct. [9] To the east of the viaduct are the Drygrange Old Bridge, a road bridge dating from 1776, and its modern successor. [9] [11] This group of three bridges is sometimes known as Tripontium. [2] To the east of the viaduct, the River Leader flows into the Tweed from the north. [9]
A portion of the film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was filmed at the viaduct, although the scene was said to be located in Switzerland. [12]
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian and, to the south-west, south and east, the English unitary authorities of Cumberland and Northumberland. The administrative centre of the area is Newtown St Boswells.
The Ladykirk and Norham Bridge connects Ladykirk in the Borders, Scotland, with Norham in Northumberland, England, across the River Tweed. It's one of three bridges that cross it along the Anglo-Scottish Border, the others being the Coldstream Bridge and the Union Chain Bridge; out of these, the Ladykirk and Norham Bridge is the youngest, opening to the public in 1888.
The Royal Tweed Bridge is a road bridge in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England crossing the River Tweed. It was intended to divert traffic from the 17th century Berwick Bridge, and until the 1980s it formed part of the A1 road, the main route from London to Edinburgh. However, the construction of the A1 River Tweed Bridge to the west of Berwick has since reduced the Royal Tweed Bridge's importance.
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