The Holbeck Viaduct Project is a community project that proposes bringing the Holbeck Viaduct in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

back into public use. The project is supported by a community group of the same name. The Holbeck Viaduct (also known as the Farnley Viaduct) spans 92 archways and . It runs from

Leeds railway station Leeds railway station (also known as Leeds City railway station) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on New Station Street to the south of City Square, at the foot of Park Ro ...

, via

Holbeck Urban Village Holbeck Urban Village is an area of Leeds city centre, close to Leeds railway station that has been undergoing a period of urban renewal. Description The designated area, part of Holbeck, is located amongst ex-locomotive engineering and manufact ...

and Old

Holbeck Holbeck is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins on the southern edge of Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 postcode district. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is t ...

, passes near Elland Road Stadium and ends onto wasteland in Wortley. The

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

was built in 1882 for the

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world. Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connec ...

during the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

. It has been described as a feat of

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

engineering, and provided a vital transport link into the booming city centre, which by the turn of the 20th century had developed into an important centre for the production of woollen cloth (See

History of Leeds Loidis, from which Leeds, Yorkshire derives its name, was anciently a forested area of the Celtic kingdom of Elmet. The settlement certainly existed at the time of the Norman conquest of England and in 1086 was a thriving manor under the overl ...

). The viaduct largely fell out of use in the 1960s following

Leeds City Station Leeds railway station (also known as Leeds City railway station) is the mainline railway station serving the Leeds city centre, city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on New Station Street to the south of City Square, Lee ...

modernisation, and the last scheduled train to pass over the viaduct did so on 11 October 1987. A number of uses for the viaduct have been suggested, including a community garden, green walkway, arts space, park, cycle path, events hub, public allotment, café, music venue, viewing platform, local landmark or other community-focused project. HolbeckViaductSpan

The Holbeck Viaduct Project community group envisages that the viaduct will open in 2023. The proposed timeline for the development is: * 2016–2017: Pre-feasibility scoping report * 2017–2018: Detailed feasibility and stakeholder engagement * 2018–2020: Fundraising and securing land and planning * 2021–2023: Constructing, planting and opening. The project is happening at the same time as the South Bank Leeds regeneration, which has the aim of doubling the size of Leeds city centre. The community group supporting the project seeks to develop the project in a highly participatory manner, drawing on the time, skills and resources of a wide range of people and organisations. The group has a website and mailing list, and is represented on Twitter and Facebook. The group is seeking new volunteers and supporters to support their community-based proposals, including detailed feasibility study to underpin future fundraising. The project has previously been referred to as the Holbeck High Line, echoing the

High Line The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Op ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. However, the name Holbeck Viaduct Project reflects a wider range of options and a desire to create an affordable project which truly reflects Leeds and its local communities. The Holbeck Viaduct Project is not to be confused with the nearby Monk Bridge Viaduct development, in nearby Whitehall Road, which will see a separate viaduct turned into a sky park, alongside bars, restaurants and apartments.

References

{{Viaducts in Yorkshire Leeds Railway viaducts in West Yorkshire Transport in Leeds