Summary
Outwood Viaduct is a Grade II listed railway viaduct crossing the River Irwell in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. Following a period of disuse, it was restored and opened to the general public as a footpath.
History edit
The viaduct was built by contractors for the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway, to carry trains across the River Irwell on the Clifton Junction to Bury line. It is 340 feet (100 m) long, and carries the line 70 feet (21 m) above the Irwell. The inaugural date for the timber structure was 25 September 1846.[1] The superstructure was converted to cast iron in 1881 by Handyside and Company of Derby.[2] The London, Midland and Scottish Railway replaced the timber decking in 1923.[3]
The closest station was Radcliffe Bridge, heading southwest to Clifton the following station was Ringley Road.
Having been closed to railway traffic in 1966, it was restored and subsequently re-opened to the general public on 25 June 1999 by Sir William McAlpine, President of the Railway Heritage Trust.[4]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Wells 1995, p. 115.
- ^ Burman & Stratton 1997, p. 224.
- ^ Wells 1995, p. 109.
- ^ Outwood Viaduct Restoration, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, archived from the original on 9 January 2009, retrieved 12 December 2008
Bibliography edit
External links edit
- East Lancashire Railway official site
- Information on restoration of viaduct
- News story from 1997 regarding restoration of viaduct
- Images of England - image of viaduct
53°33′24″N 2°19′54″W / 53.5568°N 2.3316°W