The Hownsgill Viaduct (in some sources called Hownes Gill Viaduct and locally called the Gill bridge) is a former railway bridge located west of Consett in County Durham, England. It is currently used as a footpath and cycleway.
From July 1832 to May 1834, Robert Stephenson was consulting engineer to the industrial Stanhope and Tyne Railway (S&TR), built to transport limestone from Stanhope to Consett, and then with coal onwards to Tyne Dock in South Shields. However, the company was unable to afford a bridge over the 49-metre (161 ft) deep and 244-metre (801 ft) wide dry valley, Hown's Gill. The company hence authorised Stephenson to construct two steep rope-worked inclines, one at 1:2.5 and a second at 1:3. To enable wagons to be transported from Waskerley to Consett and onwards to Annfield Plain, single wagons were carried sideways in cradles worked by a single stationary steam engine located at the bottom of the gorge.[1] On 15 May 1834, the first 15.25-mile (24.54 km) section from Stanhope to Annfield opened.[2]
As a result, the DIC proposed an extension from Crook to the foot of the Meeting Slacks incline, which later became Waskerley, to provide a southern shipping route for their lime and iron products. Having obtained an extension of their right of way from the Bishop of Durham, the DIC submitted the planes to the S&DR, who agreed to the extension as long as the DIC leased the entire southern section of the former S&TR to them. The Stanhope to Carrhouse section passed into the possession of the S&DR on 1 January 1845, with the completed 10-mile (16 km) Weardale Extension Railway from the Wear Valley Junction to Waskerley opening on 16 May 1845.[2]
ConstructionEdit
Having taken over the line, the S&DR proposed to bypass Hown's Gill through construction of a suitable bridge. They commissioned Thomas Bouch to design and supervise the construction of such a structure.[1] Bouch's design was submitted to Stephenson, who recommended the use of inverted arches under the five central piers to reduce ground loading.[3][4]
Hownsgill Viaduct, August 2012
The construction tender was won by John Anderson,[3] who started works in 1857, with Rowley created to enable the workers to access the site. Three million white firebricks were used in the structure, with sandstoneAshlar dressings, and iron railings along the platform. The completed single-track bridge opened in 1858, 700 feet (210 m) long and at maximum 150 feet (46 m) high, spanned by twelve 50-foot (15 m) wide arches on slender triple-tiered piers, with arched recesses in three layers on each side.[1][5]
PresentEdit
Hownsgill Viaduct with its anti-suicide fence, March 2014
The railway was closed to regular passenger services on 23 May 1955.[6] The line was fully closed in the early 1980s,[7] with the tracks lifted by 1985.[8]
The viaduct can also be reached from the A692 road between Consett and Castleside using a footpath southward from outside the "Stanefordham Inn" (now called The Dam Inn) to the east of "The Grove" housing estate. The viaduct is about .5 miles (0.80 km) walk.
In 2012 anti-suicide fences were fitted to the bridge: there had been one suicide from the bridge every two weeks in the first half of 2011 and five between January and August 2012.[9] Despite this, in August 2017 a woman fell to her death from the "wrong" side of the anti-suicide fence.[10]
Biddle, Gordon & Nock, O.S., The Railway Heritage of Britain : 150 years of railway architecture and engineering, Studio Editions, ISBN1851705953 (1990)
Biddle, Gordon and Simmons, J., The Oxford Companion to British Railway History, Oxford, ISBN0 19 211697 5 (1997)
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The Hownsgill Viaduct in some sources called Hownes Gill Viaduct and locally called the Gill bridge is a former railway bridge located west of Consett in County Durham England It is currently used as a footpath and cycleway Hownsgill Viaduct in 1858 Contents 1 Background 2 Construction 3 Present 4 ReferencesBackground EditFrom July 1832 to May 1834 Robert Stephenson was consulting engineer to the industrial Stanhope and Tyne Railway S amp TR built to transport limestone from Stanhope to Consett and then with coal onwards to Tyne Dock in South Shields However the company was unable to afford a bridge over the 49 metre 161 ft deep and 244 metre 801 ft wide dry valley Hown s Gill The company hence authorised Stephenson to construct two steep rope worked inclines one at 1 2 5 and a second at 1 3 To enable wagons to be transported from Waskerley to Consett and onwards to Annfield Plain single wagons were carried sideways in cradles worked by a single stationary steam engine located at the bottom of the gorge 1 On 15 May 1834 the first 15 25 mile 24 54 km section from Stanhope to Annfield opened 2 After the S amp TR sold its assets in 1842 while the northern section from Annfield became part of the Pontop and South Shields Railway the now abandoned southern section was bought by the Derwent Iron Company 2 After the West Durham Railway constructed a line to Crook the Stockton and Darlington Railway S amp DR began construction of the Weardale Extension Railway to Crook which opened on 8 November 1843 from a junction on its leased Weardale Railway 2 As a result the DIC proposed an extension from Crook to the foot of the Meeting Slacks incline which later became Waskerley to provide a southern shipping route for their lime and iron products Having obtained an extension of their right of way from the Bishop of Durham the DIC submitted the planes to the S amp DR who agreed to the extension as long as the DIC leased the entire southern section of the former S amp TR to them The Stanhope to Carrhouse section passed into the possession of the S amp DR on 1 January 1845 with the completed 10 mile 16 km Weardale Extension Railway from the Wear Valley Junction to Waskerley opening on 16 May 1845 2 Construction EditHaving taken over the line the S amp DR proposed to bypass Hown s Gill through construction of a suitable bridge They commissioned Thomas Bouch to design and supervise the construction of such a structure 1 Bouch s design was submitted to Stephenson who recommended the use of inverted arches under the five central piers to reduce ground loading 3 4 Hownsgill Viaduct August 2012The construction tender was won by John Anderson 3 who started works in 1857 with Rowley created to enable the workers to access the site Three million white firebricks were used in the structure with sandstone Ashlar dressings and iron railings along the platform The completed single track bridge opened in 1858 700 feet 210 m long and at maximum 150 feet 46 m high spanned by twelve 50 foot 15 m wide arches on slender triple tiered piers with arched recesses in three layers on each side 1 5 Present Edit Hownsgill Viaduct with its anti suicide fence March 2014The railway was closed to regular passenger services on 23 May 1955 6 The line was fully closed in the early 1980s 7 with the tracks lifted by 1985 8 The viaduct is now part of the Sustrans national foot and cycle path network as part of the Sea to Sea Cycle Route which crosses from Whitehaven Workington on the west coast to Sunderland Tynemouth on the east coast The viaduct can also be reached from the A692 road between Consett and Castleside using a footpath southward from outside the Stanefordham Inn now called The Dam Inn to the east of The Grove housing estate The viaduct is about 5 miles 0 80 km walk In 2012 anti suicide fences were fitted to the bridge there had been one suicide from the bridge every two weeks in the first half of 2011 and five between January and August 2012 9 Despite this in August 2017 a woman fell to her death from the wrong side of the anti suicide fence 10 References EditBiddle Gordon Britain s Historic Railway Buildings Oxford University Press ISBN 0198662475 2003 Biddle Gordon amp Nock O S The Railway Heritage of Britain 150 years of railway architecture and engineering Studio Editions ISBN 1851705953 1990 Biddle Gordon and Simmons J The Oxford Companion to British Railway History Oxford ISBN 0 19 211697 5 1997 Bonavia Michael Historic Railway Sites in Britain Hale ISBN 0 7090 3156 4 1987 Civil Engineering Heritage Northern England Conolly W Philip British Railways Pre Grouping Atlas And Gazetteer Ian Allan Publishing ISBN 0 7110 0320 3 1958 97 Jowett Alan Jowett s Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland Patrick Stephens Ltd ISBN 1 8526 0086 1 March 1989 Morgan Bryan Railways Civil Engineering Arrow ISBN 0 09 908180 6 1973 Morgan Bryan Railway Relics Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 0092 1 1969 Simmons J The Railways of Britain Macmillan ISBN 0 333 40766 0 1961 86 Simmons J The Victorian Railway Thames amp Hudson ISBN 0 500 25110X 1991 Smith Martin British Railway Bridges and Viaducts Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 2273 9 1994 Tominson W W The North Eastern Railway David amp Charles ISBN 0715390023 1987 a b c Hownes Gill Viaduct TransportHeritage com Retrieved 18 March 2013 a b c d Stanhope and Tyne Railway Disused Stations Retrieved 18 March 2013 a b Hownes Gill Viaduct Engineering Timelines com Archived from the original on 30 December 2013 Retrieved 18 March 2013 Pevsner Nikolaus 1985 County Durham 2nd ed with corrections ed Harmondsworth Penguin p 132 ISBN 0140710094 Hownes Gill Viaduct ForgottenRelics co uk Retrieved 18 March 2013 Butt R V J 1995 The Directory of Railway Stations Yeovil Patrick Stephens Ltd ISBN 1 85260 508 1 R508 Allen Cecil J 1974 1964 The North Eastern Railway Shepperton Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 0495 1 Stanhope and Tyne Railway Pastscape org uk Retrieved 18 March 2013 Hownsgill viaduct to be fitted with anti suicide fences BBC News British Broadcasting Corporation 1 August 2012 Retrieved 30 May 2013 Durham Police to be sued over Hownsgill Viaduct death BBC News British Broadcasting Corporation 15 March 2019 Retrieved 15 March 2019 54 50 8 16 N 1 51 9 1 W 54 8356000 N 1 852528 W 54 8356000 1 852528 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hownsgill Viaduct amp oldid 1083786317, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
