Penallt Viaduct is a

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 va ...

that formerly carried the

Wye Valley Railway The Wye Valley Railway was a standard gauge railway that ran for nearly along the Lower Wye Valley between the towns of Chepstow and Monmouth, crossing several times between Wales and England. Opened on 1 November 1876, it was leased to, and ...

over the

River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales ...

, which at this location forms the border between

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

(

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

) and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

( Monmouthshire). The Wye Valley Railway opened on 1 November 1876. The viaduct is a single-track curved structure of five girder spans supported on four pairs of cast iron columns, located between and stations. Passenger services ceased on the railway in 1959 and it closed to freight in January 1964. The viaduct is still open to carry a public footpath, attached to the upstream girders of the viaduct, over the Wye between the villages of

Redbrook Redbrook is a village in Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the border with Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located on the River Wye and is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. History Both Upper and Lower Redbrook were men ...

and Penallt. The footbridge was jointly provided by the pre-1974 Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire County Councils who agreed in 1953 to pay for the construction of the footbridge attached to the viaduct.Western Mail Thursday 28 May 1953

References

Urban75 - Wye Valley Railway
Railway viaducts in Gloucestershire Wye Valley Railway Railway bridges in Monmouthshire Forest of Dean Pedestrian bridges in England Pedestrian bridges in Wales Railway viaducts in Wales Bridges across the River Wye Former railway bridges in the United Kingdom {{UK-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References