The Fledborough Viaduct: Crossing The River Trent
We continue our series – Crossing the Trent. We’re in Nottinghamshire on the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) – later Great Central Railway (GCR) and latterly LNER (London North Eastern Railway). In this first episode we’re on the west side of the River Trent. Before crossing, we can look around the remains of the Fledborough railway station, which opened in 1896 on the line from Chesterfield Market Place, Langwith Junction and Lincoln.
We’re now about to cross the River Trent in spectacular fashion. Opening in 1897, it is more commonly known these days as Fledborough Viaduct, but older maps has it labelled as Trent Viaduct.
It was designed by Robert Elliott-Cooper. The viaduct consists of 59 brick arche and 4 trussed steel girder spans. It measures 814 metres (890 yd) was originally built and opened as twin standard gauge.
The four spans in the centre that cross the main river body were replaced in 1965 with the steel structure you see today.
9 million bricks were used in the construction, mainly the classic blue engineering bricks so typical of the railways of the same age.
Passenger services ceased over the viaduct in the 1950s, although coal traffic kept the viaduct in use for many more years until it’s closure in 1980. These days you can walk and cycle over it as part of the national cycle network.
Part 1 – Fledborough Station – https://youtu.be/lauGlyXp7r4
Part 3 – Clifton station – https://youtu.be/UiLnQf-_jW0
11 Comments
Very good again some great builders back in them days.Its a great view from above.Wonder how they got that steel bridge and them pillars in water.
Thank you fore today’s video. Always an interesting trek. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and see you on the next! Cheers Paul! 😊😊
I’ve been over that thankfully it still survives amazing structure
Hey Wobbly,
Thanks for the video. I have ancestors from North Clifton, at the eastern end of the viaduct, so its nice to see the area!
Now I know what’s in part 3! I was wondering why they made so many brick arches and not an embankment. Due to the flooding risk or lack of waste materials from nearby cuttings?
Its a beautiful viaduct this one Paul. The brickwork is stunning, great explore underneath it Paul. Greaf view as well right to the end of the viaduct seeing the curvature of it. Great view on top makes a fab walk. Still surprising that it closed given that its an important link over the Trent. Great video Paul. ❤😊
Definitely one of the more impressive viaducts with its length and all of those arches, plus the massive steel supports.
You ought to see that when it's 'in flood', the whole area is swamped with water, The Trent just basically takes over. I usually park on the east side of the Viaduct, where you're starting the next video I would say, and walk across and on to Fledborough Station, it's a lovely walk. The post on the east side just at the end of the video, usually has a sign giving you the dimensions of the Viaduct, someone's obviously made off with it. Come to think of it there used to be one at the base of the signal on the west side of the Viaduct too, someone's been busy nicking stuff.
That was great Paul. Was that section ever double track or just originally built for it.
That’s some viaduct Paul.
I am always blown away by our ancestors who when met with a problem like how to cross a river and flood plane with a railway they just devised a solution and got on with it and , very little deterred or stopped them did it. Of course the costs of materials and labour was much lower in comparison to today's.
Great video and thank you for adding another walk to my list of to do's.