Bridges & viaducts

Visit our collection of forgotten bridges and viaducts by clicking on their names below.

Have you ever wondered when a bridge becomes a viaduct? Of the five structures above, there can be little argument that the one furthest left is a bridge whilst far-right stands a viaduct. What would you define the three in the middle as?

Here are three suggestions from visitors to Forgotten Relics.
Bridge on Pickle Bridge line Fremington Viaduct Rawthey Viaduct Latchford Viaduct Smardale Gill Viaduct

The first looks upon a viaduct as being a structure with one or more intermediate supports, unless there's a local convention such as on the Thames where crossings are always known as bridges.

In a similar vein, the second - an experienced railway bridge examiner - generally regards a viaduct as having five or more spans.

The third considers a bridge to be any structure which either crosses a river or only has one span. A viaduct is used to take a railway over a valley.

If you have any other thoughts on this subject, please email us.
Stories
Opened
1862
Company
Sth Durham & Lancashire Union
Closed
1961
Location
5m E of Kirkby Stephen
Opened
1898
Company
Great Central
Closed
1966
Location
9m SW of Towcester
Opened
1894
Company
Cheshire Lines Committee
Closed
1969?
Location
Manchester
Opened
1903
Company
Lanarkshire & Ayrshire
Closed
1950
Location
3½m SE of Beith
Opened
1900
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1990
Location
2m NW of Dewsbury
Opened
1857
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1965
Location
6m SE of Kirkby Lonsdale
Opened
1861
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1965
Location
2m NW of Sedbergh
Opened
1863
Company
Midland
Closed
1968
Location
Buxton-Bakewell
Opened
1847
Company
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock & Ayr
Closed
1976
Location
2½m NE of Cumnock
Opened
1878
Company
Great Northern
Closed
1965
Location
2m N of Queensbury
Galleries
Opened
1856
Company
Newcastle & Carlisle
Closed
1976
Location
S of Haltwhistle town centre
Opened
1868
Company
Tees Valley
Closed
1964
Location
5m SE of Middleton-in-Teesdale
Opened
1877
Company
Great Northern
Closed
1968
Location
1m NE of Ilkeston
Opened
1861
Company
Portpatrick
Closed
1965
Location
6m N of Gatehouse of Fleet
Opened
1915
Company
Catterick Camp Military Railway
Closed
1964
Location
3½m SE of Richmond
Opened
1848
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1970
Location
½m SE of Bolton town centre
Opened
1878
Company
North Eastern
Closed
1998
Location
Castleford
Opened
1898
Company
Great Central
Closed
1966
Location
3m W of Daventry
Opened
1868
Company
Brecon & Merthyr
Closed
1966
Location
1½m NW of Merthyr Tydfil
Opened
1904
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1966
Location
4m NW of Dewsbury
Opened
1909
Company
Dearne Valley
Closed
1966
Location
4m SW of Doncaster
Opened
1906
Company
Midland
Closed
1968
Location
3½m SW of Wakefield
Opened
1886
Company
Great North of Scotland
Closed
1968
Location
18m E of Elgin
Opened
1848
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1970
Location
1½m SE of Bolton Town Centre
Opened
1897
Company
Midland
Closed
1984
Location
2½m E of Barnsley
Opened
1862
Company
Sth Durham & Lancashire Union
Closed
1961
Location
2½m W of Barnard Castle
Opened
1877
Company
Goods Traffic Committee
Closed
1984
Location
W of Carlisle city centre
Opened
1878
Company
Great Northern
Closed
1968
Location
N of Derby city centre
Opened
1882
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1973
Location
2½m N of Wigan
Opened
1861
Company
Border Union
Closed
1969
Location
1m NW of Carlisle city centre
Opened
1863
Company
Inverness & Perth Jnc
Closed
1965
Location
8m S of Forres
Opened
1896
Company
Lancashire, Derbyshire & E Coast
Closed
1980
Location
9m SE of Retford
Opened
1855
Company
Bideford Extension
Closed
1982
Location
3m W of Barnstaple
Opened
1863
Company
Sth Durham & Lancashire Union
Closed
1962
Location
6m SW of Bishop Auckland
Opened
1869
Company
Castle Douglas & Dumfries
Closed
1965
Location
3m SW of Dumfries
Opened
1903
Company
Lanarkshire & Ayrshire
Closed
1950
Location
3½m SE of Beith
Opened
1902
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1991
Location
3m SW of Wakefield
Opened
1902
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1991
Location
3m SW of Wakefield
Opened
1867
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1995
Location
½m E of Dewsbury town centre
Opened
1898
Company
Great Central
Closed
1966
Location
4½m N of Brackley
Opened
1878
Company
Great Northern
Closed
1963
Location
½m SE of Cullingworth
Opened
1858
Company
Stockton & Darlington
Closed
1969
Location
1½m SW of Consett
Opened
1879
Company
GN/LNW Joint
Closed
1964
Location
11m E of Leicester
Opened
1862
Company
Border Counties
Closed
1958
Location
SE of Kielder village
Opened
1852
Company
Newcastle & Carlisle
Closed
1976
Location
4m SW of Haltwhistle
Opened
1893
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1985
Location
1½m SE of Warrington
Opened
1865
Company
Berwickshire
Closed
1965
Location
1½m E of Melrose
Opened
1861
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1965
Location
5m S of Tebay
Opened
1868
Company
Tees Valley
Closed
1964
Location
1m SE of Middleton-in-Teesdale
Opened
1861
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1965
Location
2m NW of Sedbergh
Opened
1877
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1964
Location
3m N of Accrington
Opened
1874
Company
London & South Western
Closed
1985?
Location
2½m SW of Okehampton
Opened
1862
Company
Sth Durham & Lancashire Union
Closed
1961
Location
½m SE of Kirkby Stephen
Opened
1876/1874
Company
Wye Valley/Ross & Monmouth
Closed
1964
Location
9m SW of Ross-on-Wye
Opened
1863
Company
Midland
Closed
1968
Location
3m NW of Bakewell
Opened
1864
Company
Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith
Closed
1972
Location
5½m E of Keswick
Opened
1847
Company
Newcastle & Berwick
Closed
1965
Location
½m S of Norham
Opened
1857
Company
North Eastern
Closed
1968
Location
N of Bishop Auckland town centre
Opened
1893
Company
Cheshire Lines Committee
Closed
1982
Location
8m SW of Manchester
Opened
1862
Company
Sth Durham & Lancashire Union
Closed
1961
Location
½m N of Barnard Castle
Opened
1861
Company
London & North Western
Closed
1965
Location
1m SW of Sedbergh
Opened
1862
Company
North British
Closed
1967
Location
6½m SE of Langholm
Opened
1840
Company
Midland Counties
Closed
1965
Location
NW of Rugby town centre
Opened
1871
Company
North Eastern
Closed
1982
Location
1½m W of Newcastle city centre
Opened
1862
Company
North British
Closed
1969
Location
6m S of Hawick
Opened
1860
Company
Sth Durham & Lancashire Union
Closed
1961
Location
1½m W of Kirkby Stephen
Opened
1869
Company
Solway Junction
Closed
1921
Location
12m NW of Carlisle
Opened
1886
Company
Great North of Scotland
Closed
1968
Location
8m E of Elgin
Opened
1847
Company
York & North Midland
Closed
1965
Location
12m NW of Market Weighton
Opened
1849
Company
North Eastern
Closed
1955
Location
9m SW of York
Opened
1860
Company
North British
Closed
1958
Location
3m SW of Kelso
Opened
1862
Company
North British
Closed
1969
Location
10m N of Carlisle
Opened
1878
Company
Great Northern
Closed
1965
Location
2m N of Queensbury
Opened
1850
Company
Manchester, Sheffield & Lincs
Closed
1959
Location
9m NW of Lincoln
Opened
1849
Company
York, Newcastle & Berwick
Closed
1965
Location
3m NE of Coldstream
Opened
1875
Company
Lancashire & Yorkshire
Closed
1959
Location
1m W of Elland
Opened
1849
Company
York, Newcastle & Berwick
Closed
1962
Location
1½m SE of Coldstream
One-shot gallery
A collection of single photos featuring other disused bridges we've stumbled across on our travels.
Abandoned monuments, still spanning a gap.

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