Bennerley Viaduct - now open to access

[WesternLancer]

apols - can't post on a prev thread for this viaduct to update - but just spotted this which may be of interest to people:

Bennerley Viaduct: Visitor hopes for newly opened attraction

Nick Tooley says the restored viaduct is receiving "very positive local feedback".

www.bbc.co.uk

A group behind the reopening of a previously at-risk Victorian viaduct is expecting hundreds of visitors on its opening weekend.
Bennerley Viaduct, which runs between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, opened to the public on Thursday after more than five decades of dereliction.
The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct said a constant stream of tourists have visited the site this week.
They are asking visitors to check their website for information on access.
Bennerley Viaduct opened as a railway bridge in 1877 but was closed as part of the Beeching railway cuts in 1968.
An investment of £1.7m has allowed it to be turned into a footbridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

 

[Sniffingmoose]

What great news that this magnificent structure is now being used.. I must have a trip.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

This was featured in an episode of "The Architecture the Railways Built" which was shown last week, although I don't know how recently it was made. Either way, it looked very impressive!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Easy walk from Ilkeston station along the canal, and worth a visit. And a fair variety of trains going underneath, being on the line north from Toton.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

This was featured in an episode of "The Architecture the Railways Built" which was shown last week, although I don't know how recently it was made. Either way, it looked very impressive!

The episode which featured Bennerley viaduct in the Erewash valley (and which also visited Sheffield station) was Series 2 Episode 7 of "The Architecture the Railways Built" and first aired in March 2021, so presumably was filmed in 2020.

Programme presenter and occasional forum contributor @timmydunn should be able to confirm.

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks all for follow up posts - useful info.

 

[timmydunn]

did it twice! we got so many messages about it in series 1 (filmed summer 2019) that we went back to film in nov 2020. i laid some bricks on an abutment course so badly apparently they are visibly crap today. Sorry everybody, etc. The table below (someone decent put this on wikipedia!) lists all major locations.

Episode	Original air date	Places featured
1.1	28-Apr-20​	Down Street tube station
Rotterdam Centraal station
Bennerley Viaduct
1.2	05-May-20​	Ffestiniog Railway
Amsterdam Centraal station
The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone
1.3	12-May-20​	King's Cross station
Clifton Rocks Railway
Dartmouth station
Göltzsch Viaduct
1.4	19-May-20​	Ribblehead Viaduct
Settle–Carlisle line
Surbiton station
Hungerburgbahn
1.5	26-May-20​	Metro-land
Great Malvern station
Glacier Express
1.6	02-Jun-20​	St Pancras station
Midland Grand Hotel
Castle Howard station
Stoosbahn
1.7	09-Jun-20​	Snowdon Mountain Railway
Hafod Eryri
Severn Bridge Junction signal box
Strasbourg-Ville station
1.8	16-Jun-20​	55 Broadway
Helsinki Central station
Wolferton station
Barmouth Bridge
1.9	23-Jun-20​	Stockton and Darlington Railway
Hitachi Newton Aycliffe
Chappel Viaduct
Stockholm metro
1.1	30-Jun-20​	Swindon railway village
Jubilee Line Extension
Milano Centrale station
2.1	19-Jan-21​	Wemyss Bay station
Blackfriars station
São Bento station
2.2	26-Jan-21​	Royal Albert Bridge
Saltash station
Wolverhampton Low and High Level stations
Gällivare station
2.3	02-Feb-21​	Connel Bridge
Windsor & Eton Central and Riverside stations
Gniezno railway depot
2.4	09-Feb-21​	Piccadilly line Extension
Plzeň station
Causey Arch
2.5	16-Feb-21​	Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway
Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
Catesby Tunnel
Leipzig station
2.6	23-Feb-21​	Barrow Hill Roundhouse
Bath Green Park and Bath Spa stations
Łódź Fabryczna station
2.7	02-Mar-21​	Sheffield station
Bennerley Viaduct
Lisbon Orient station
2.8	09-Mar-21​	Bristol Temple Meads station
Southend Pier Railway
Haapsalu station
2.9	16-Mar-21​	Huddersfield station
Hohenzollern Bridge
Midland Hotel
Morecambe Promenade station
2.1	23-Mar-21​	Wingfield station
Welland Viaduct
Malmö Central station and City Tunnel
3.1	13-Sep-21​	Newcastle Central station and High Level Bridge
Ballochmyle and Laigh Milton Viaducts
Oberweißbacher Bergbahn
3.2	20-Sep-21​	Wharncliffe Viaduct
Three Bridges
Ballater station
Rossio station
Brentford Dock
3.3	27-Sep-21​	Charing Cross station
Hungerford Bridge
Borås Central station
Ordsall Chord
3.4	04-Oct-21​	Bramhope Tunnel
Dresden Hauptbahnhof
Fawley Hill
3.5	11-Oct-21​	Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Brislington tram depot
Aleksandrów Kujawski station
3.6	18-Oct-21​	Bishopstone station
Stockholm Central station
Selby Diversion
3.7	25-Oct-21​	London and Greenwich Railway
Žampach Viaduct
Alnwick station
3.8	01-Nov-21​	North Staffordshire Railway Company and Stoke station
Byker Viaduct
Elbląg Canal
3.9	08-Nov-21​	Margate and Ramsgate stations
Dom Luís I Bridge
Mail Rail
3.1	15-Nov-21​	Birmingham Curzon Street Station
Copenhagen Metro
Bekonscot model village

 

[WesternLancer]

did it twice! we got so many messages about it in series 1 (filmed summer 2019) that we went back to film in nov 2020. i laid some bricks on an abutment course so badly apparently they are visibly crap today. Sorry everybody, etc. The table below (someone decent put this on wikipedia!) lists all major locations.

Episode	Original air date	Places featured
1.1	28-Apr-20​	Down Street tube station
Rotterdam Centraal station
Bennerley Viaduct
1.2	05-May-20​	Ffestiniog Railway
Amsterdam Centraal station
The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone
1.3	12-May-20​	King's Cross station
Clifton Rocks Railway
Dartmouth station
Göltzsch Viaduct
1.4	19-May-20​	Ribblehead Viaduct
Settle–Carlisle line
Surbiton station
Hungerburgbahn
1.5	26-May-20​	Metro-land
Great Malvern station
Glacier Express
1.6	02-Jun-20​	St Pancras station
Midland Grand Hotel
Castle Howard station
Stoosbahn
1.7	09-Jun-20​	Snowdon Mountain Railway
Hafod Eryri
Severn Bridge Junction signal box
Strasbourg-Ville station
1.8	16-Jun-20​	55 Broadway
Helsinki Central station
Wolferton station
Barmouth Bridge
1.9	23-Jun-20​	Stockton and Darlington Railway
Hitachi Newton Aycliffe
Chappel Viaduct
Stockholm metro
1.1	30-Jun-20​	Swindon railway village
Jubilee Line Extension
Milano Centrale station
2.1	19-Jan-21​	Wemyss Bay station
Blackfriars station
São Bento station
2.2	26-Jan-21​	Royal Albert Bridge
Saltash station
Wolverhampton Low and High Level stations
Gällivare station
2.3	02-Feb-21​	Connel Bridge
Windsor & Eton Central and Riverside stations
Gniezno railway depot
2.4	09-Feb-21​	Piccadilly line Extension
Plzeň station
Causey Arch
2.5	16-Feb-21​	Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway
Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
Catesby Tunnel
Leipzig station
2.6	23-Feb-21​	Barrow Hill Roundhouse
Bath Green Park and Bath Spa stations
Łódź Fabryczna station
2.7	02-Mar-21​	Sheffield station
Bennerley Viaduct
Lisbon Orient station
2.8	09-Mar-21​	Bristol Temple Meads station
Southend Pier Railway
Haapsalu station
2.9	16-Mar-21​	Huddersfield station
Hohenzollern Bridge
Midland Hotel
Morecambe Promenade station
2.1	23-Mar-21​	Wingfield station
Welland Viaduct
Malmö Central station and City Tunnel
3.1	13-Sep-21​	Newcastle Central station and High Level Bridge
Ballochmyle and Laigh Milton Viaducts
Oberweißbacher Bergbahn
3.2	20-Sep-21​	Wharncliffe Viaduct
Three Bridges
Ballater station
Rossio station
Brentford Dock
3.3	27-Sep-21​	Charing Cross station
Hungerford Bridge
Borås Central station
Ordsall Chord
3.4	04-Oct-21​	Bramhope Tunnel
Dresden Hauptbahnhof
Fawley Hill
3.5	11-Oct-21​	Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Brislington tram depot
Aleksandrów Kujawski station
3.6	18-Oct-21​	Bishopstone station
Stockholm Central station
Selby Diversion
3.7	25-Oct-21​	London and Greenwich Railway
Žampach Viaduct
Alnwick station
3.8	01-Nov-21​	North Staffordshire Railway Company and Stoke station
Byker Viaduct
Elbląg Canal
3.9	08-Nov-21​	Margate and Ramsgate stations
Dom Luís I Bridge
Mail Rail
3.1	15-Nov-21​	Birmingham Curzon Street Station
Copenhagen Metro
Bekonscot model village

Thanks Tim - v helpful. Of course 2 slots for Bennerley fully justified in my view!

 

[ungreat]

We used to walk onto it in the early 80s with no problems!
Later..I spent more time underneath it on 20s, 56s and 58s loading MGR trains!

 

[WesternLancer]

We used to walk onto it in the early 80s with no problems!
Later..I spent more time underneath it on 20s, 56s and 58s loading MGR trains!

So was that before the approach embankments went? In the early 80s that is?

 

[ungreat]

So was that before the approach embankments went? In the early 80s that is?

Yes you could get onto it easily from the Awsworth side!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jan 2022 ==

Used to be a resident class 04 there too..D2258

 

[londontransit]

Bennerley viaduct is a stupendous structure. Cast iron rail bridges were all the rage in the area (due to mine subsidence) as there were once others including an example over the Cromford Canal as I recall. No doubt the presence of the Bennerley and Butterley Ironworks (the latter for St Pancras roof) were a strong factor in the use of iron.

 

[WesternLancer]

Yes you could get onto it easily from the Awsworth side!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jan 2022 ==

Used to be a resident class 04 there too..D2258

Thanks - I'll be keen to go up there and the look at the view having looked at a few archive photos of what the landscape below would have looked like in the relatively recent and not so recent past (eg as you mention).

Some friends are going to walk it in a week or so but I can't make the date.

 

[Techniquest]

I don't often peruse this part of the forum, but I have now seen this thread and added the viaduct to my list of rides to do. Fantastic looking structure, and it looks relatively easy to get to from Ilkeston station which I haven't been on yet. A good excuse to go visiting Nottinghamshire soon!

Not that I needed any more ideas on my list of rides to do. It's seriously getting quite concerning how many ideas I have now, I think if I did just 1 plan every month I would be working on the list for at least 10 years!

 

[Teaboy1]

So good Tim that its now on my to-do list! .... once it warms up out there!

Off thread slightly but the progs with Tim and Siddy[?] regarding London Underground heritage also compulsive viewing. Siddy so genuine into Transport,[ just like Tim ] of the subjects, they make it a first rate program !

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Off thread slightly but the progs with Tim and Siddy[?] regarding London Underground heritage also compulsive viewing. Siddy so genuine into Transport,[ just like Tim ] of the subjects, they make it a first rate program !

Icelandic born Siddy Holloway (a.k.a. Sigurbjörg Alma Ingólfsdóttir) is an Engagement manager at London Transport Museum.

Siddy is a co-presenter of 'Secrets of the London Underground', alongside @timmydunn, and is also a former actress, and voiceover artiste.