Lambley Viaduct
{{Use British English|date=September 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox bridge
| name = Lambley Viaduct
| image = South Tyne Lambley Viaduct 6173.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Lambley Viaduct in October 2011
| coordinates = {{coord|54.9190|-2.5085|type:landmark_region:GB-NBL}}
| os_grid_reference = NY675584
| official_name =
| other_name =
| carries = {{ubl|{{UK NCN route|route=68}}|Pedestrians|{{small|(Formerly, Alston line)}}}}
| crosses = River South Tyne
| locale = Northumberland
| owner =
| maint =
| id =
| architect =
| designer = Probably Sir George Barclay Bruce
| engineering =
| design =
| material = Stone
| length = {{cvt|260|m}}
| width = {{cvt|3.5|m}}
| height = At least {{cvt|33|m}}
| mainspan =
| spans = 9
| pierswater = 3
| load =
| clearance =
| below =
| life =
| builder =
| fabricator =
| begin =
| complete = 1852
| cost =
| open = {{start date|1852|11|17|df=y}}{{cite book |last=Tomlinson |first=William Weaver |date=1914 |title=The North Eastern Railway: Its Rise and Development |url=https://archive.org/details/northeasternrail00tomluoft/page/511/mode/1up |location=Newcastle upon Tyne |publisher=Andrew Reid & Company |page=511 |via=Internet Archive}}
| inaugurated =
| preceded = Eals Footbridge
| followed = Lambley Footbridge
| collapsed =
| closed = {{end date|1976|05|03|df=yes}}, as a railway
| replaces =
| extra =
{{Infobox designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = NHLE
| designation1_type = Grade II listed building
| designation1_date = 23 August 1985
| designation1_number = 1042918}}
}}
Lambley Viaduct is a stone bridge across the River South Tyne at Lambley in Northumberland. Formerly a railway bridge, it remains open to pedestrians but one end of the viaduct has been fenced off.
History
File:Lambley viaduct and Metro Cammell dmu.jpg
Lambley viaduct crosses the River South Tyne as a series of elegant stone arches. More than {{cvt|260|m}} long, it was one of nine viaducts on the former Haltwhistle to Alston railway.{{cite magazine |last=Fenton |first=Mike |date=December 1974 |title=South Tynedale Railway |magazine=Railway Magazine |volume=120 |issue=884 |location=London |pages=588–591}}{{cite magazine |last=Fenton |first=Mike |date=Autumn 1986 |title=The Alston Branch |magazine=British Railway Journal |issue=13 |location=Didcot |pages=135–154 |issn=0265-4105}} This was opened in 1852 to haul coal and lead from the Alston mines, closed in 1976, and the viaduct was allowed to decay.{{cite web |url=http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/lambrw.html |title=River South Tyne - Lambley Viaduct |publisher=Bridges on the Tyne |access-date=2016-01-21 |df=dmy-all}} In 1991 the British Rail Property Board agreed to repair the viaduct and hand it over to the North Pennine Heritage Trust which would maintain it in the future; however the Trust went into administration in 2011.{{cite news |url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-pennines-heritage-trust-collapses-4423229 |title=North Pennines Heritage Trust collapses|date=2011-09-10|newspaper=The Journal |location=Newcastle upon Tyne |publisher=Trinity Mirror |access-date=2016-01-21 |quote=The trust, with 400 members and a team of volunteers, also owns Alston Arches and the Lambley Viaduct at Haltwhistle.}}{{cite book |last1=Forsythe |first1=Robert |last2=Blackett-Ord |first2=Charles |name-list-style=amp |date=1998 |title=Lambley Viaduct: The History, Decline and Restoration of a Great Monument |location=Nenthead |publisher=North Pennines Heritage Trust |isbn=0951353551}}
The viaduct was probably designed by George Barclay Bruce, a Victorian engineer who was involved in the Alston line before leaving for India to pioneer railway construction there. It is a particularly elegant example of Victorian engineering: the river is crossed by nine {{convert|17|m|adj=on}} wide arches which support a deck at least {{cvt|33|m}} above the river but, as it carried a single rail track, only {{cvt|3.5|m}} wide. The piers to the arches are built of massive rough-faced stones each weighing up to {{convert|500|kg}}, with similar-sized stones in ashlar to the main arch voussoirs. The spandrels and piers to the {{convert|6|m|adj=on}} wide approach arches are built of coursed rubble masonry.{{cite web |title=Lambley Viaduct |url=http://freespace.virgin.net/elaine.rigby/lambley.htm |website=Blacket-Ord Consulting Engineers |access-date=2008-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021107003743/http://freespace.virgin.net/elaine.rigby/lambley.htm |archive-date=2002-11-07}}
One end of the viaduct has been fenced off, after the path was diverted in 2004 to pass further away from Lambley railway station, which is now a private house.
It is a Grade II* listed structure.{{NHLE|grade=II*|num=1042918|desc=Railway Viaduct Across River South Tyne|access-date=5 September 2018|mode=cs2}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{River item box
|River = River South Tyne
|upstream = Eals Footbridge
|upsub = Footbridge
|downstream = Lambley Footbridge
|downsub = Footbridge
|type = bridge
|location = NY675584}}
{{Commons category}}
Category:Bridges in Northumberland
Category:Crossings of the River Tyne
Category:Former railway bridges in the United Kingdom