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The Great Britain Guide

Historic bridges · Yorkshire & the Humber

Hewenden Viaduct

Free admission

Hewenden Viaduct is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.

Hewenden Viaduct, historic bridges in Yorkshire & the Humber

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
15 min–30 min
Nearest railway station
Damems · 3.9 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Hewenden Viaduct is a named historic bridge in the United Kingdom. Coordinates: 53.8183°, -1.8875°. This entry is part of The Great Britain Guide, a free, ad-free, open-data tourist directory.

Photo gallery

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: South Pennine Moors SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Hewenden Viaduct, situated near Cullingworth, West Yorkshire, England, originally served as a railway viaduct along the Queensbury Lines. Being one of the highest viaducts in Britain, it has been recognised as a Grade II listed structure. The viaduct was built for the Great Northern Railway to carry a new branch line between Keighley and Thornton. Soon after its official opening in July 1883, the route became of strategic importance for through goods traffic, particularly in connection with the region's extensive textile industry. However, the line's fortunes took a downturn during the twentieth century. During October 1963, the viaduct's use by railway traffic ended as a result of the line's permanently closure. Despite this, it has remained intact. Since 2005, the viaduct has formed part of the Great Northern Railway Trail, trafficked by walkers and cyclists alike.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The origins of the Hewenden Viaduct are closely associated with the Great Northern Railway, which decided to construct the Keighley and Thornton branch line from its main route. It was recognised that such a railway represented considerable strategic importance, forming a through route that directly linked several major textile towns in the Pennine foothills whilst bypassing congested existing lines around Leeds and Bradford. The route opted for involved several extensive engineering works, including the viaduct, contributing to the railway's colloquial nickname of the Alpine Railway. It is an extensive structure, standing at a height of 123 ft and spanning a distance of 576 yd, supported…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
53.8183, -1.8875
District
Bradford
Parish
Cullingworth
Postcode
BD13 5BN
Parliamentary constituency
Shipley
Nearest railway station
Damems3.9 km
Opening
{{Start date|1883|07|df=y}}

Sources

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Nearby

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Hewenden Viaduct?
Hewenden Viaduct is in Yorkshire, United Kingdom (postcode BD13 5BN), in the parish of Cullingworth.
Who owns Hewenden Viaduct?
Hewenden Viaduct is owned by | maint =.
Is Hewenden Viaduct a protected site?
Yes — Hewenden Viaduct is part of the South Pennine Moors SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is Hewenden Viaduct free to visit?
Yes, Hewenden Viaduct is free to enter.
How do I get to Hewenden Viaduct?
The nearest railway station is Damems, about 3.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BD13 5BN.