Long or high railway bridges you can walk over

[D6130]

Another two viaducts which can be legally walked over, both of which I have done:

Hengoed, South Wales, on the former Pontypool Road-Neath cross-valleys line....a few minutes walk from Hengoed station on the Rhymney line. Unfortunately, this viaduct has had to have installed opaque plastic wrap-over anti-suicide screens on both sides for its full length, but good views can still be had from the parapets at either end.

West Vale, near Elland, West Yorkshire, on the former Greetland-Stainland branch. Can be reached by bus from Halifax or Huddersfield. The higher, but shorter Holywell Green viaduct about half-a-mile futher up the branch is not accessible....but the public footpath which crosses West Vale viaduct passes the end of it and gives a good view of it in winter when there are no leaves on the trees.

 

[MisterSheeps]

Podgill & Merrygill, Kirkby Stephen

 

[rower40]

Little Petherick Creek just outside Padstow, on the Camel Trail.
Turns an 8-mile hilly road route on the A389 from Wadebridge to Padstow into a gentle, flat, quiet and scenic trundle on the old LSWR extension. And for a Sustrans route, the surface isn't too bad either.

When I used to volunteer at Bodmin, it formed part of my commute.

 

[aavm]

So far:
Barmouth Bridge:
Barnes Railway Bridge:
Bennerley Viaduct:
Blackfriars Rail Bridge (and Station):
Buckingham railway viaduct:
Carlisle Bridge:
Castlefield Viaduct:
Causey Arch:
Cawledge Viaduct:
Cefn-Coed Viaduct:
Conisbrough Viaduct:
Connel Bridge:
Cullen Viaducts:
Cwm Prysor Viaduct:
Fulham Rail Bridge:
Glen Ogle Viaduct:
Glenfinnan Viaduct (No access):
Hawarden Bridge:
Headstone Viaduct:
Hewenden Viaduct:
High Level Bridge (Newcastle):
Hockley Viaduct:
Hownsgill Viaduct:
Hungerford Bridge:
Lady Bay Bridge:
Larpool Viaduct:
Logierait Viaduct:
Maidstone Footbridge:
Martholme Viaduct:
Meldon Viaduct:
Midford Viaduct:
Pensford (no access):
Podgill and Merrygill Viaducts:
Pont Briwet Bridge:
Pontsarn Viaduct:
Sankey Viaduct (no access):
Shin Bridge:
Smardale Gill Viaduct:
Tay Viaduct:
Thornton Viaduct:
Wansford Rail Bridge:

Back to reading your suggestions. Thanks again.

 

[trebor79]

So far:
Barmouth Bridge:
Barnes Railway Bridge:
Bennerley Viaduct:
Blackfriars Rail Bridge (and Station):
Buckingham railway viaduct:
Carlisle Bridge:
Castlefield Viaduct:
Causey Arch:
Cawledge Viaduct:
Cefn-Coed Viaduct:
Conisbrough Viaduct:
Connel Bridge:
Cullen Viaducts:
Cwm Prysor Viaduct:
Fulham Rail Bridge:
Glen Ogle Viaduct:
Glenfinnan Viaduct (No access):
Hawarden Bridge:
Headstone Viaduct:
Hewenden Viaduct:
High Level Bridge (Newcastle):
Hockley Viaduct:
Hownsgill Viaduct:
Hungerford Bridge:
Lady Bay Bridge:
Larpool Viaduct:
Logierait Viaduct:
Maidstone Footbridge:
Martholme Viaduct:
Meldon Viaduct:
Midford Viaduct:
Pensford (no access):
Podgill and Merrygill Viaducts:
Pont Briwet Bridge:
Pontsarn Viaduct:
Sankey Viaduct (no access):
Shin Bridge:
Smardale Gill Viaduct:
Tay Viaduct:
Thornton Viaduct:
Wansford Rail Bridge:

Back to reading your suggestions. Thanks again.

You missed Newton Cap viaduct

 

[aavm]

Here's the updated list. Am adding GPS to do a map.

Aside 1: Have a read of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankey_Viaduct, in 1830, the first major rail viaduct, and still in use today
Aside 2: A shame the southern Cumbria estuary bridges have no public access

Alston Arches ( Northumberland )
Appersett Viaduct ( North Yorkshire )
Barmouth Bridge ( Gwynedd )
Barnes Railway Bridge ( London )
Bennerley Viaduct ( Derbyshire )
Blackfriars Rail Bridge (and Station) ( London )
Bollington Viaduct ( Cheshire )
Buckingham railway viaduct ( Buckinghamshire )
Carlisle Bridge ( Lancaster )
Castlefield Viaduct ( Manchester )
Causey Arch ( Durham )
Cawledge Viaduct ( Northumberland )
Cefn-Coed Viaduct ( Merthyr Tydfil )
Chester Railway Bridge ( Chester )
Conisbrough Viaduct ( South Yorkshire )
Connel Bridge ( Argyll and Bute )
Corby Bridge (Wetheral Viaduct) ( Cumbria )
Cullen Viaducts ( Moray )
Cwm Prysor Viaduct ( Snowdonia )
Forth Rail Bridge (no access, yet) ( Edinburgh )
Fulham Rail Bridge ( London )
Glen Ogle Viaduct ( Stirling )
Glenfinnan Viaduct (No access) ( Highland )
Hawarden Bridge ( Deeside )
Headstone Viaduct ( Derbyshire )
Hengoed Viaduct ( Caerphilly )
Hewenden Viaduct ( West Yorkshire )
High Level Bridge (Newcastle) ( Tyneside )
Hockley Viaduct ( Hampshire )
Hownsgill Viaduct ( Durham )
Hungerford Bridge ( London )
Lady Bay Bridge ( Nottingham )
Lambley Viaduct ( Northumberland )
Larpool Viaduct ( North Yorkshire )
Little Petherick Creek Railway Bridge ( Cornwall )
Logierait Viaduct ( Perth and Kinross )
Maidstone Footbridge ( Kent )
Martholme Viaduct ( Lancashire )
Meldon Viaduct ( Devon )
Midford Viaduct ( Somerset )
Newton Cap Bridge ( Durham )
North Water Viaduct ( Angus )
Pensford (no access) ( Somerset )
Podgill and Merrygill Viaducts ( Cumbria )
Pont Briwet Bridge ( Gwynedd )
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ( Wrexham )
Pontsarn Viaduct ( Merthyr Tydfil )
Queen Alexandra Bridge ( Wearside )
Rowlands Gill Viaduct ( Durham )
Sankey Viaduct (no access) ( Cheshire )
Shin Bridge ( Highland )
Smardale Gill Viaduct ( Cumbria )
Tavistok Viaduct ( Devon )
Tay Viaduct ( Perth and Kinross )
Thornton Viaduct ( West Yorkshire )
Treffry Viaduct ( Cornwall )
Tucking Mills Viaduct ( Somerset )
Wansford Rail Bridge ( Peterborough )
West Vale Viaduct ( West Yorkshire )

 

[AlbertBeale]

Here's the updated list. Am adding GPS to do a map.

Aside 1: Have a read of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankey_Viaduct, in 1830, the first major rail viaduct, and still in use today
Aside 2: A shame the southern Cumbria estuary bridges have no public access

Alston Arches ( Northumberland )
Appersett Viaduct ( North Yorkshire )
Barmouth Bridge ( Gwynedd )
Barnes Railway Bridge ( London )
Bennerley Viaduct ( Derbyshire )
Blackfriars Rail Bridge (and Station) ( London )
Bollington Viaduct ( Cheshire )
Buckingham railway viaduct ( Buckinghamshire )
Carlisle Bridge ( Lancaster )
Castlefield Viaduct ( Manchester )
Causey Arch ( Durham )
Cawledge Viaduct ( Northumberland )
Cefn-Coed Viaduct ( Merthyr Tydfil )
Chester Railway Bridge ( Chester )
Conisbrough Viaduct ( South Yorkshire )
Connel Bridge ( Argyll and Bute )
Corby Bridge (Wetheral Viaduct) ( Cumbria )
Cullen Viaducts ( Moray )
Cwm Prysor Viaduct ( Snowdonia )
Forth Rail Bridge (no access, yet) ( Edinburgh )
Fulham Rail Bridge ( London )
Glen Ogle Viaduct ( Stirling )
Glenfinnan Viaduct (No access) ( Highland )
Hawarden Bridge ( Deeside )
Headstone Viaduct ( Derbyshire )
Hengoed Viaduct ( Caerphilly )
Hewenden Viaduct ( West Yorkshire )
High Level Bridge (Newcastle) ( Tyneside )
Hockley Viaduct ( Hampshire )
Hownsgill Viaduct ( Durham )
Hungerford Bridge ( London )
Lady Bay Bridge ( Nottingham )
Lambley Viaduct ( Northumberland )
Larpool Viaduct ( North Yorkshire )
Little Petherick Creek Railway Bridge ( Cornwall )
Logierait Viaduct ( Perth and Kinross )
Maidstone Footbridge ( Kent )
Martholme Viaduct ( Lancashire )
Meldon Viaduct ( Devon )
Midford Viaduct ( Somerset )
Newton Cap Bridge ( Durham )
North Water Viaduct ( Angus )
Pensford (no access) ( Somerset )
Podgill and Merrygill Viaducts ( Cumbria )
Pont Briwet Bridge ( Gwynedd )
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ( Wrexham )
Pontsarn Viaduct ( Merthyr Tydfil )
Queen Alexandra Bridge ( Wearside )
Rowlands Gill Viaduct ( Durham )
Sankey Viaduct (no access) ( Cheshire )
Shin Bridge ( Highland )
Smardale Gill Viaduct ( Cumbria )
Tavistok Viaduct ( Devon )
Tay Viaduct ( Perth and Kinross )
Thornton Viaduct ( West Yorkshire )
Treffry Viaduct ( Cornwall )
Tucking Mills Viaduct ( Somerset )
Wansford Rail Bridge ( Peterborough )
West Vale Viaduct ( West Yorkshire )

I don't think Blackfriars Rail Bridge in London really counts - there's no walking route other than the platforms of the station; if you get off a train there you can exit on either side of the river, but it's not really a through route, being behind the gateline when the station's open. So it's not like a pedestrian route "piggybacking" on the rail infrastructure but outwith the rail system, as I thought was intended here. Still, you can walk across the adjacent Blackfriars [road] Bridge of course.

Just upstream, however, Hungerford Bridge - as also listed - clearly does fit the criteria (and did already before the new fancy walkways were constructed about 20 years ago), long having had a walkway alongside the railway.

 

[ItsGrimUpNorth]

There's a walkway across the north face of Corby Bridge over the River Eden, adjacent to Wetheral station on the Newcastle-Carlisle Line. (Not marked on maps as a public right of way.)

I’ve lived in Wetheral a good few years and never heard it referred to as ‘Corby Bridge’! Always ‘Wetheral Viaduct’.

 

[aavm]

I don't think Blackfriars Rail Bridge in London really counts - there's no walking route other than the platforms of the station; if you get off a train there you can exit on either side of the river, but it's not really a through route, being behind the gateline when the station's open. So it's not like a pedestrian route "piggybacking" on the rail infrastructure but outwith the rail system, as I thought was intended here. Still, you can walk across the adjacent Blackfriars [road] Bridge of course.

Just upstream, however, Hungerford Bridge - as also listed - clearly does fit the criteria (and did already before the new fancy walkways were constructed about 20 years ago), long having had a walkway alongside the railway.

I walked over the (old, now M48) Severn Bridge a few weeks ago, which reminded of walking over the Barmouth Estuary rail bridge, and a childhood fascination with Porthkerry Viaduct (sadly, no access). Which led me to compile the list. I'm surprised by how many stone/brick arch viaducts there still are, especially as the first was only 1830, and their era (before iron and steel) was brief, and so many have been lost.

I suppose the list has morphed in to "long, high or interesting". Blackfriars Rail Bridge counts as "interesting", and (according to Thameslink Customer Service) it's only 10p (a 'platform ticket' from the ticket office only) to cross it.

No sure I want to go down the route of bridges to get a train over - there'd be too many

 

[Tractor37]

Has anyone mentioned the surviving part of the viaduct into Leeds Central. Had a quick scan through but can’t see it mentioned. This has recently been made accessible.

 

[Dave W]

Since a few North American examples have been offered might I venture the Harahan Bridge in Memphis?

Originally combined rail/road, with the footpath only being created out of one of the roadways in the mid-2010s. There's a huge amount to see - Memphis is a bit of a crossroads and rail traffic is heavy. I walked across it from Tennessee into Arkansas on a witheringly hot afternoon last spring, a train caught us up, passed us then paused at a signal on it - we were close enough to see through the sheet metal on the wagon sides of the vehicle-carrying cars, and we were attended with a lovely smell of fresh wood from certain wagons on the train.

There's not much to do on the immediate other side other than patronise a rather sketchy set of portaloos, but it has some very obvious infrastructure for the old roadways. We baulked at the idea of walking to West Memphis (apparently pitched as a cycling and walking route - it's a full 10 miles end to end!) so turned round and came back - the train was still there! Plenty of engineering interest also - you can see quite a lot of the bridge's structure.

Lazy wikipedia link, although there's plenty more out there about it:

Harahan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[billio]

A couple of additions :

Wharfe Bridge, Newton Kyme (SE 44656 45438, 53°54'11"N, 1°19'19"W)
Refurbished in splendid fashion and now well used by walkers and cyclists.
Tadcaster viaduct (SE 48462 43857, 53°53'19"N, 1°15'51"W)

 

[D6130]

A couple of additions :

Wharfe Bridge, Newton Kyme (SE 44656 45438, 53°54'11"N, 1°19'19"W)
Refurbished in splendid fashion and now well used by walkers and cyclists.
Tadcaster viaduct (SE 48462 43857, 53°53'19"N, 1°15'51"W)

I thought that maverick brewery owner Humphrey Smith (of Sam Smith's Brewery) had forbidden people to walk across Tadcaster viaduct, as access to it on one side of the river is through his premises?

 

[SouthernR]

Another:
Big Water of Fleet Viaduct (Galloway)

Big Water Of Fleet Viaduct | Canmore

canmore.org.uk

 

[uvarvu]

Cann, Riverford, Bickleigh and Ham Green viaducts, all on the Plym Valley trail.

 

[aavm]

Has anyone mentioned the surviving part of the viaduct into Leeds Central. Had a quick scan through but can’t see it mentioned. This has recently been made accessible.

Thanks, and there's Holbeck Viaduct nearby as well, which looks quite a bit longer.

 

[Ken H]

Has anyone mentioned the surviving part of the viaduct into Leeds Central. Had a quick scan through but can’t see it mentioned. This has recently been made accessible.

Pix here

Monk Bridge Viaduct Garden · Leeds LS12 1DF

★★★★☆ · Park and Garden

goo.gl

Link goes to Google Maps entry for Monk Bridge Viaduct Urban garden

 

[D6130]

Another viaduct that hasn't yet been mentioned is at Healey Dell near Whitworth in Lancashire, on the former Rochdale to Bacup line. It has eight arches, with a maximum height of 103 feet and is crossed by the Rochdale Way footpath and National Cycling Network route no.92.

 

[Chrisyd]

You can walk over the viaduct on the Bolton - Bury Railway which starts behind Burnden Park and crosses the A666 (Google Street View from St Peters Way), this then goes on to the Darcy Lever Viaduct (Google Street View from Road beneath).

Darcy Lever viaduct from Disused Stations: To the east of the station ran the River Tonge in a steep valley over which the line was carried on the Darcy Lever viaduct, 612ft long and 86ft high. The viaduct had five stone columns which supported timber lattice spans. They were later replaced with steel lattice spans.

 

[Paulwoking]

Try Porto, Portugal. You have a choice of two bridges, Ponte de D. Maria Pia or Ponte Luis 1, very close to each other. Both attributed to Eifel, and looking very similar. Ponte de D. Maria Pia (single track) was superseded by an adjacent modern bridge in 1991 but you can walk over it. The high level of Ponte Luis 1 carries the metro and a footpath.

 

[4COR]

Helmdon Viaduct on the old Grand Central near Brackley?

 

[Winthorpe]

Try Porto, Portugal. You have a choice of two bridges, Ponte de D. Maria Pia or Ponte Luis 1, very close to each other. Both attributed to Eifel, and looking very similar. Ponte de D. Maria Pia (single track) was superseded by an adjacent modern bridge in 1991 but you can walk over it. The high level of Ponte Luis 1 carries the metro and a footpath.

I’ll second that, and Porto is a cracking city in general.

 

[Snapper37]

Again out of the uk, but Davos Weisen. Added enjoyment in that the tread plates are open, to let the snow fall through. It’s a long way down.

 

[Magdalia]

Has anyone mentioned the Castlefield linear garden that has recently been opened. The line that used to lead into the Manchester Central station?

Featured on The Architecture the Railways Built this evening.

 

[Pacef8]

Yes a few days ago . Just re-opened for spring.

 

[D.L.P.R.]

The Pontrhydyfen Railway Viaduct (Neath Port Talbot) is a 10 arch brick viaduct built to carry the Tonmawr branch of the Port Talbot Railway, it now forms part of the Richard Burton Trail (he was born in the village). 51°37'58.699"N, 3°44'43.559"W It is sometimes called the "red Bridge" to differentiate from the older Pontrhydyfen Aquaduct (1827) a few hundred yards to the north, which can also be walked over.

 

[Rescars]

Another:
Big Water of Fleet Viaduct (Galloway)

Big Water Of Fleet Viaduct | Canmore

canmore.org.uk

Not sure how safe this one is! This was fenced off when last visited (sadly). There are also notices underneath cautioning against falling masonry.

 

[Dave S 56F]

The old Midland railway freight only branch from Mirfield loco sheds to St John's Rd gds yard the 13 arch blue brick Bradley viaduct which spans the Huddersfield Broad canal and river Colne at Bradley Wood is quite a high one.

 

[Taunton]

is the path on the west side of Hungerford Bridge out of Charing X still there?

If I'm not mistaken the answer to this is strictly speaking "No". It used to be that the footpath was a rather industrial steel part of the railway bridge, but at The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 this was replaced by two commemorative, separate, grand footbridges, one each side, which while extremely close are now independent structures. There is a gap of about 10 feet from the railway bridge columns which used to support the old footway, and some elaborate protection has had to be installed to stop daredevils jumping across, possibly after some incidents. Pictured here (which by the graffiti seems to show someone has made it over) :

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[Ken H]

If I'm not mistaken the answer to this is strictly speaking "No". It used to be that the footpath was a rather industrial steel part of the railway bridge, but at The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 this was replaced by two commemorative, separate, grand footbridges, one each side, which while extremely close are now independent structures. There is a gap of about 10 feet from the railway bridge columns which used to support the old footway, and some elaborate protection has had to be installed to stop daredevils jumping across, possibly after some incidents. Pictured here (which by the graffiti seems to show someone has made it over) :

Thanks.