when we first started exploring and filming old railways one of the most
important features for us to find with some of the old architecture and
infrastructure along the way perhaps some of the most striking examples of
this are some of the viaduct sand bridges that we come across so we
decided to put together a list of our top 10 from 2019 we'd love to hear what
you think in the comments and of course where we should be going as soon as we
can get out and about again exploring
we explored the Herford Ross and gloucester railway soon after some
significant downpours. Boot testing time. it was a sight to see the wye in such
full flow
the pillars of both backney and ballingham bridges still stand today is a tribute
to the line that once was and whilst we don't have rose tinted glasses about the
viability of this line being opened again we would sincerely hope that the
pillars remain for all to see
sitting on the southern end of the form of Dicot Newbury and Southampton railway
to south Winchester this was a valley that was never intended to be crossed in
the original plans but like many lines cash was short and the reliance on one
of the railroad giants was inevitable that inevitability called for the
construction of this not insignificant structure spanning 33 arches sits hidden
away next to the m3 have a look at the link provided in the description below
for the full story as it's quite an interesting one. Another bridge falls
into our top 10 list of viaduct the Ingleton branch line doesn't really hold
much in the way of abandoned stations but what a treat you're in for if it
structures that you are looking for
right as we're going down this line towards the final destination of Ingleton
we're realizing that stations aren't the most exciting stations so we did think
would make a point of stopping off at the all the viaduct along the way
the Rawthey is just one of four on this stretch of line which has last used in
the mid-1960s had it not been for some rival between two companies just down
the road in Ingleton then perhaps this line will have seen a lot more traffic
can't express to you enough to go and
visit this line of course when were able to
the village of Clydach is just down there
this could well have been your walk up the station. Lovely walk, I promised no hills
to Rebecca however today Hilly! When we visited the area
we had no intention or even knowledge that this viaduct existed
until we came here to visit both the tunnel and the old station but as we
walked up the hill to find them both we were left in all of what appeared out of
the trees to our left the curved viaduct sits on a gradient of one in 38 around
95 metres in length and 25 metres above the gorge below
In at number six the charlton road viaduct his sits just outside the town of
Shepton Mallet and was one of a handful of completely stunning viaducts on the
Somerset and Dorset railway oh my god right
so you join us at Charlton viaduct extremely picturesque was obviously the
line was obvious a single track for quite a while I'm not gonna give you
exact dates because you have to refer back to our original video but obviously
the line was single doubled after period of time and you can see that from the
video clips that will overlay at some point up close you can also see some of
the real physics in early railway building with additional support beam
sporadically placed along this convex edge we have visited this line more than
once and when you consider there are more like this on this short stretch
it's not difficult to see why so apparently some of the uprights have got
a projection so I assume what that means is they actually on like a dead straight
line viaduct it's actually comes out like that and my perceptions my
understanding is that's probably because it's on a curve and therefore obviously
physics dictate that the energy is going to be pushing on the outside of the
curve therefore a sloped construction would obviously prevent that from
actually sort of pushing it that way that's a complete basic level
physics yes.
In at number five the Ingleton viaduct it tells a fascinating and all too common
story in the plight of vast numbers of small railway companies trying to make a
name for themselves. Ingleton was a spot where two such companies clashed rarely
did the passengers needs come first so much so that each had a station at
either end of the viaduct and for a period of time companies made through
passengers walk a mile between those stations a fascinating story which will
remain a significant part of the town's history forever
In at number four the Cadishead viaduct we visited both cadishead and Partington
stations with Martin zero back in the early part of the year and most much of
the focus was on the station's themselves the viaduct between the two
over the Manchester shipping canal really shouldn't be forgotten the viaduct
built in 1892 where the line here was raised by the Cheshire Lines
committee the newly built Manchester shipping canal meant the line had to be
raised by 23 metres there's a lot to explore here not just the viaduct
Our every disused Station series number 13 saw us hit the Ingleton branch line
and in a number Three is the third entry from that trip the Lune viaduct is simply
stunning which apparently had £600k
renovation and it look
spectacular the middle section iron or Steel across the middle and
three arches leading up to either side and even more inspiring or whatever the
word is for me even more interesting for me is the massive embankment it was
built just before it. yeah what engineer, what cartographer in their
right mind would come up with this as a route. This is what I love about the
railways this landscape history and who came up with the idea of that route
a truly worthy top free place for the viaduct
yes another entry from the ingleton Branch and this branch came down from low Gil
soon after our search the low Gil station where the line left the west
coast main line we got our first glimpse of our number two entry in the top 10
Viaducts for 2019 the low Gil viaduct is one of the reasons why the North Western
Railway only made it as far north as Ingleton they were put off by the
significant cost of traversing the landscape here and you can see why the
11 arch product carried the line over the valley of Beck here and still stands
today enhancing the stunning landscape
in at number one is the Ham wood viaduct it's going to be difficult to convey in
words how beautiful this violet is it's not that it's visible from miles it
traverses a vast Valley it's not that it's entirely unique in its construction
but it is perhaps unique in its setting
it took a while for us to find this but it was well worth the walk and the
search in fact we enjoy the landscape around here so much we came back a week
later for another explore if there is one place I would urge you to go and see
when you can it would be Ham wood area on the Somerset and Dorset railway there
is so much here including of course the stunning ham wood viaduct
thanks for watching everybody we'll be back next week with another bit of
the transport history short perhaps one day soon we will be able to get out and
about again explore we really are missing that stay safe everybody and
we'll see you soon
you