Corby Viaduct is a railway bridge built to carry the
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway over the Corby Beck near
Great Corby, in the parish of
Wetheral
Wetheral is a village, civil parish and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in Cumbria, England. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census, the population of the Wetheral Wards of the United Kingdom, Ward was ...
, to the east of
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
in north-western England. One of the largest structures on the route, it is a grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
Background
The idea of linking
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
on England's east coast with
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
on the west dates back to at least the 1770s, when proposals were tabled for a canal. The prospectus for the
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was published in 1825 and construction work began in 1829 under the supervision of
Francis Giles.
The line was one of the earliest mainline railways and Britain's first major east-west line.
Giles was the consulting engineer for the entire line but was also directly responsible for the principal works at the western end, which presented some of the greatest engineering challenges on the route, including Corby Viaduct as well as the next feature on the line, the
Corby Bridge (or Wetheral Viaduct, which crosses the
River Eden), and the
Gelt Bridge further east.
Description
The viaduct crosses Corby Beck on seven red sandstone arches, supported by six piers. The arches have a span of each and the whole structure is long, carrying the railway above the valley floor. The viaduct has similar architectural details to the nearby
Corby Bridge (Wetheral Viaduct). It crosses the entrance drive to
Corby Castle and was used as an entrance to the castle; the coat of arms of the
Howard family
The Howard family is an English noble family
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has of ...
are carved into the both faces of the central arch.
History
The bridge was built from 1830 to 1834. The road to Corby Castle is now disused and much overgrown. Vegetation makes the viaduct largely inaccessible at ground level.
The viaduct is a grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. The list entry describes it as "an early and important railway structure, forming an impressive landscape feature".
See also
*
Listed buildings in Wetheral
References
{{Railway bridges in Cumbria
Wetheral
Grade II listed bridges
Railway bridges in Cumbria
Grade II listed buildings in Cumbria
Bridges completed in 1834