Trivia: the most famous viaduct in Britain

[Cheshire Scot]

The current issue of Steam Railway has an article on viaducts, featuring 'ten of the best'.

The description for Glenfinnan Viaduct includes the line 'Surely this must be Britain's most famous viaduct thanks to its use in the Harry Potter films;'.

For younger generations weaned on the Potter magic - and their parents and maybe even grandparents, this may well be the case but do we agree?

Whilst I readily admit to bias towards all things West Highland, my immediate thoughts were what other candidates might there be, and I open the thread with two offers, The Royal Border Bridge and Ribblehead.

There are many other fine viaducts around the Network, Culloden and Tomatin on the Highland mainline and Stockport being just three, and many more on lines now closed, some still in situ, and some long since gone. No doubt you will all have favourites.

Although the heading is Britain I think it reasonable to extend the geography to include Ireland, and one other thought, my thinking is The Forth Bridge is a bridge not a viaduct, maybe someone can produce a definition of a viaduct, sorry I haven't checked.

Of the six I have mentioned above only Glenfinnan is among the ten in the article.

Over to you.

 

[Peter0124]

Would Lancaster Viaduct count?

 

[londontransit]

I bet no one will ever mention the London & Greenwich viaduct, the longest in the UK! Built in the 1830s, it was built with ramps for hauling the new trains up onto it, a number of arches accommodated proper homes (which was a rarity) and several arches still constitute the one intermediate station at Spa Road. The number of arches, well there's over 800! There's also a number of road crossings with exquisite cast iron columns and stonework. It is a grade II structure and quite deservedly too.

 

[stuu]

Yes, Glenfinnan. It was filmed loads before Harry Potter so I would have thought that the answer would have been the same 20 years ago

 

[Western Sunset]

Crimple Viaduct, south of Harrogate, is a neglected gem.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Calstock viaduct on the Gunnislake branch is a fine example. So is Moorswater near Liskeard.

 

[30907]

Glenfinnan is on a curve, which makes it especially photogenic and distinctive, even without flying cars and such
Ribblehead for location would, I agree, come second.
The Ouse viaduct on the Brighton line is also very distinctive and perhaps ranks with those already mentioned - as perhaps does Harrington.

 

[Gathursty]

Shankend Viaduct was an unexpected delight when I saw it a few weeks ago.

 

[Kilopylae]

Meldon Viaduct is well-known within Devon and beautiful

 

[Magdalia]

A bridge mainly crosses water, a viaduct mainly crosses land. The Forth Bridge and the Royal Border Bridge are bridges, not viaducts, because they mainly cross water.

My top ten viaducts, in alpha order so I don't have to choose:

Balcombe (Sussex Ouse)
Belah
Bennerley (Erewash)
Chappel (Colne)
Culloden
Digswell (Mimram)
Glenfinnan
Greenwich
Harringworth (Welland)
Ribblehead

I haven't included anything in Wales. I might change my mind if I ever went to Crumlin.

 

[Techniquest]

My choice, although I've not yet seen it in anything but a brochure, is Fledborough Viaduct. Near High Marnham, on the former railway route turned into a cycleway near Lincoln. It looks incredible!

Another choice for me is Knucklas Viaduct on the Heart of Wales line.

 

[Pinus contorta]

The Whalley Arches in East Lancashire is quite eye catching.

 

[Grecian 1998]

Whist I agree the answers can only be Glenfinnan and Ribblehead, the disused Cannington Viaduct on the former Lyme Regis branch is very distinctive. Partly for its reinforced arch and partly for the fact there's little other sign a railway ever existed there. You can catch glimpses of it from the A3052 coast road - many drivers must wonder what on earth it is.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Strictly speaking, the Forth Bridge must be considered. Just because we don't call it a viaduct doesn't mean it isn't one.

My personal fave is Paddock Viaduct near Huddersfield. Like Glenfinnan it has also featured in cinema, but in a rather lesser-known Serbian movie called Hadersfild (2007). No flying Ford Anglias (or Yugos) though!

 

[Western Sunset]

All viaducts are bridges, but not all bridges are viaducts. I wouldn't consider the Forth Bridge to be a viaduct.

 

[jonesy3001]

Arthington viaduct down the road from where I live on the Harrogate line

 

[fgwrich]

Surely the south west has it's contenders:
Coombe (Saltash)
St Germans
Largin
Angarrack
Hayle.

 

[stuu]

Strictly speaking, the Forth Bridge must be considered. Just because we don't call it a viaduct doesn't mean it isn't one.

Viaducts are structures with many repeated spans, bridges are small numbers of spans, so the Forth Bridge is correctly named

I would agree it is definitely the most famous railway structure of any kind in the country though

 

[DarloRich]

Byker Viaduct - although on the metro so might not count

 

[norbitonflyer]

Probably the Stockport Viaduct is one of the best known simply because it is in such a densely populated area. Everyone in Stockport will know it for a start.

 

[snowball]

Probably the Stockport Viaduct is one of the best known simply because it is in such a densely populated area. Everyone in Stockport will know it for a start.

and everyone who has been along the M60.

 

[WesternBiker]

Surely the south west has it's contenders:
Coombe (Saltash)
St Germans
Largin
Angarrack
Hayle.

Absolutely - I'll also give another vote for Calstock.

And, in Wales, a shout out for the magnificent (also curving) viaduct at Cynghordy, which is an often overlooked gem in magnificent scenery. There are some lovely images on the National Transport Trust website.

 

[ashkeba]

My choice, although I've not yet seen it in anything but a brochure, is Fledborough Viaduct. Near High Marnham, on the former railway route turned into a cycleway near Lincoln. It looks incredible!

Sadly, the sides of Flegborough viaduct are too high to see out most of the time. At least an old semaphore signal has been left to look at!

 

[fgwrich]

Surely the south west has it's contenders:
Coombe (Saltash)
St Germans
Largin
Angarrack
Hayle.

Annoyingly I forgot both Calstock and the equally scenic Truro!

 

[johnnychips]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Denby Dale. Though Calstock is my favourite.

 

[Western Sunset]

I feel that Arten Gill Viaduct has the most dramatic setting of all those on the Settle & Carlisle.

 

[Pinza-C55]

A bridge mainly crosses water, a viaduct mainly crosses land. The Forth Bridge and the Royal Border Bridge are bridges, not viaducts, because they mainly cross water.

My top ten viaducts, in alpha order so I don't have to choose:

Balcombe (Sussex Ouse)
Belah
Bennerley (Erewash)
Chappel (Colne)
Culloden
Digswell (Mimram)
Glenfinnan
Greenwich
Harringworth (Welland)
Ribblehead

I haven't included anything in Wales. I might change my mind if I ever went to Crumlin.

The Royal Border Bridge is a Bridge because the owning company , the North Eastern Railway did not use the word Viaduct to describe multi arch bridges. Thus the King Edward Bridge, High Level Bridge and Queen Alexandra Bridge were all bridges although the layman would call them Viaducts.

 

[D821]

Lockwood Viaduct. I visited Huddersfield RUFC a while back and walked under it. An amazing structure.

 

[Trackman]

Probably the Stockport Viaduct is one of the best known simply because it is in such a densely populated area. Everyone in Stockport will know it for a start.

One of my favourites. Biggest viaduct in Europe I believe.
Still, if I was on 'Family Fortunes' I would say Ribblehead.

 

[Grumpy Git]

One of my favourites. Biggest viaduct in Europe I believe.

Two parallel structures after the original one was widened to four tracks.

Apparently if all the bricks were stacked end on end, the pile would be higher than Mt. Everest?