(All photos © Andrew King)

A little over 2,000 feet in length, this remarkable viaduct across the River Itchen has concrete at its heart, contrary to appearances. Alternatively named Twyford or Shawford, the structure was the brainchild of the London & South Western Railway's consulting engineer W L Galbraith. He was wise to the benefits of mass concrete, using it to form the viaduct's piers, each weighing around 650 tonnes and subsequently clad in bricks from Blanchards Works at Bishop's Waltham. Joseph T Firbank acted as contractor for construction of the 33 conventional brick arches, one of which is a longer span over the river. A string course is inserted at trackbed level and refuges are cantilevered above every third or fifth pier.

The viaduct served as part of a two-mile link between the L&SW's main line at Shawford Junction and the Didcot Newbury & Southampton Railway which stalled at Winchester in 1885. The through route opened in October 1891 but lasted only until 1966, closing on 4th April.

Post closure, the viaduct's fate has been mixed. Despite research suggesting that it was the first of its kind to have a concrete core, English Heritage turned down an application to list it. Whilst structurally sound, there has been a deterioration of the brickwork and some sections of parapet have been lost to vandalism. Whilst the public are allowed to walk over it, the route is not user-friendly.

In the mid-Nineties, the local council called in the Army to blow up the structure but controversy brought a halt to the plan. It was determined that the costs involved in demolishing it would probably match the amount needed to restore it. In 2007, a report put that figure at around £1 million.

But it will soon be brought back into proper public use if long-running plans come to fruition. Backed by Sustrans, Hampshire County Council and current owners Winchester City Council, the structure is hopefully to be incorporated into Route 23 of the National Cycle Network. The city council's contribution will reach £500,000 if it is match-funded from other sources. There is though an immediate need to carry out repairs to the parapets as well as some repointing and remedial work on the deck.