UK rail bridges and viaducts to walk over

Almondell Viaduct

West Lothian

(Camps Viaduct)

9 high brick arches. 108m x 27m. Disused, now carries a path in Almondell and Calderwood Country Park

Alston Arches

Northumberland

(Haltwhistle Viaduct)

4 Stone arches across the South Tyne River. Disused. Grade II listed. Now a foot/cycle path.

Appersett Viaduct

North Yorkshire

Not a public right of way, but the farmer has put in a style. On the minor road from Apperset that joins the Hawes-Ingleton B road.

Aurs Burn Viaduct

Renfrewshire

Disused concrete arch bridge. Now a footpath.

Avenham Viaduct

Lancashire

Disused. Bridge over the Ribble in Preston town centre

Avon Aqueduct

West Lothian

Longest and highest aqueduct in Scotland. On John Muir Way.

Balderstone Viaduct

Durham

(Balder Viaduct)

Now a footpath

Barmouth Bridge

Gwynedd

Crosses estuary. Recommended.

Barnes Railway Bridge

London

Footbridge alongside a live railway bridge. Replacement for the original still alongside it.

Bennerley Viaduct

Derbyshire

Disused, now a walk/cycle path. 15 piers. 433m long. 18m high. Ilkeston train station is 1 mile away.

Bickleigh Bridge

Devon

on Ply Valley Trail

Big Water of Fleet Viaduct

Dumfries and Galloway

remote, car park

Blackfriars Rail Bridge and Station

London

Station over the Thames. Need a 10p platform ticket (from the ticket office only) to access platforms

Bollington Viaduct

Cheshire

curved 23-arch stone viaduct. part of the Middlewood way.

Bourne End Railway Bridge

Buckinghamshire

Footbridge added for the Thames Path

Buckingham Railway Viaduct

Buckinghamshire

Fairly high disused railway viaduct going through the town which is open to walkers.

Cann Viaduct

Devon

on Ply Valley Trail

Carlisle Bridge

Lancaster

Active. Carries West Coast Main Line over the River Luna. 110m long. 37m high.

Castlefield Viaduct

Manchester

NT, being converted to a linear park. Free, but you have to book. 330m long. 17m high.

Causey Arch

Durham

Disused. Oldest surviving single-arch railway bridge in the world. Originally a wagonway. "The grand-daddy of them all. OK, it’s only one massive arch but stunningly impressive from all angles."

Cawledge Viaduct

Northumberland

Disused for now, being repaired by a heritage line. 7 spans. 123m x 23m. On the Aln Valley Railway between Alnmouth and Alnwick in Northumberland is 23 metres high and 123 long, and believed to be the world’s oldest masonry heritage railway viaduct. It has a foot/cyclepath down one side.

Cefn-Coed Viaduct

Merthyr Tydfil

15 arch viaduct over Methyr's valley

Chirk Aqueduct

Wrexham

Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk

Conisbrough Viaduct

South Yorkshire

465m x 35m

Connel Bridge

Argyll and Bute

Cantilever bridge, converted to a road bridge

Corby Bridge

Cumbria

(Wetheral Viaduct)

Over the River Eden, adjacent to Wetheral station. Not Corby Viaduct. 280m x 30m

Cullen Viaducts

Moray

Disused viaduct and 3 smaller viaducts/bridges. NE Scotland

Cwm Prysor Viaduct

Snowdonia

Disused viaduct. Near Bala. 150m x 32m. "The line is a serious major engineering wonder and cuts high in the valley wall."

Daisyfield Viaduct

Lancashire

Low viaduct in Bury. Crosses the River Irwell.

Darcy Lever Viaduct and Burnden Viaduct

Bolton

2 viaducts now a cycle path in Bolton

Dee Railway Bridge - Chester

Chester

Short footbridge over the Dee by the racecourse. Closed during racing. Site of the Dee Bridge disaster

Divie Viaduct

Moray

(Edinkillie Viaduct)

On the Dava Way.

Drury Dam Viaduct

Nottinghamshire

Footpath

Edinchip Viaduct - 1

Perthshire

(Kendrum Burn Viaduct)

The steel span is not original, but the rest is. On the Rob Roy Way. There's another Edinchip Viaduct nearby to the west on a parallel line

Fledborough Viaduct

Nottinghamshire

59 brick arches and 4 trussed steel girder spans across the River Trent.

Forth Rail Bridge

Edinburgh

Iconic bridge. No access yet, but plans for a visitor experience and footpath. You can walk over the adjacent (old) Forth Road Bridge, which will give a spectacular view of the bridge.

Fulham Rail Bridge

London

(Putney Rail Bridge)

Carries TFL District Line. Riverside Wetherspoons by nearby road bridge.

Garndiffaith Viaduct

Torfaen

(Talywain Viaduct)

Now a walk/cycle path

Glen Ogle Viaduct

Stirling

140m long viaduct. A favourite of many

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Highland

Spectacular curved 381m long x 30m high 1898 concrete viaduct used in the 'Harry Potter' films. West of Fort William. You can't walk over it, but there's a visitor centre, and a path to a viewpoint. Especially popular when the Jacobite Steam Train passes over, daily during the summer season. Check Jacobite Timetable to see if its running, then the FAQ for approximate times (Morning Train 10:58 outbound and 15:00 return / Afternoon Train 13.25 outbound and 17.45 return in 2022). The train is approx £60 return in 2nd class. A regular train (Fort William - Mallaig) is £16 return.

Ham Green Viaduct

Devon

on Ply Valley Trail

Ham Wood and Bath Road Viaducts

Somerset

North of Shepton Mallet, Ham Wood Viaduct requires "a slight deviation from the public footpath.". [Sep-2013] The local council is creating a path linking Ham Wood and Bath Road viaducts via the Windsor Hill tunnel along the track of a former rail line. The tunnel and Bath Road currently have no access.

Hawarden Bridge

Deeside

Steel bridge. Formerly a swing bridge.

Headstone Viaduct

Derbyshire

Disused. Part of the Monsal Trail path. Peak District NP. 5 arches. 555m x 91m. Walkable Headstone Tunnel nearby.

Healey Dell Viaduct

Manchester

8 arches. 32m high. Now a footpath

Helmdon Viaduct

Northamptonshire

9 arch brick viaduct.

Hengoed Viaduct

Caerphilly

South Wales, on the former Pontypool Road-Neath cross-valleys line....a few minutes walk from Hengoed station on the Rhymney line. Unfortunately, this viaduct has had to have installed opaque plastic wrap-over anti-suicide screens on both sides for its full length, but good views can still be had from the parapets at either end.

Hewenden Viaduct

West Yorkshire

Disused. Nr Bradford. Viaduct. 527m x 37m

High Level Bridge - Newcastle

Tyneside

407m girder bridge with rail and road deck in Newcastle city centre

Hockley Viaduct

Hampshire

Nr Winchester. Disused viaduct, suffers for M3 noise

Holbeck Viaduct

Leeds

Long disused viaduct in Leeds Centre. Plan to reopen it as 'high level' linear park

Hownsgill Viaduct

Durham

Disused Viaduct 210m x 46m

Hungerford Bridge

London

(Charing Cross Rail Bridge, Golden Jubilee Bridge)

Thames bridge to Charing Cross station. Footpaths on both sides. Great views.

Keadby Bridge

Lincolnshire

(King George V Bridge)

road rail swing bridge

Kielder Viaduct

Northumberland

Neither long nor high but it is interesting to look at because it is skewed.

Kings Mill Viaduct

Nottinghamshire

A low bridge. Originally an 1817 wagonway, the oldest railway viaduct in England. Now a walkway

Kingsferry Bridge

Kent

To Isle of Sheppey. 1950's raising road-rail bridge.

Lady Bay Bridge

Nottingham

Now a busy road with an exterior footpath cantilevered off the side, which gives you a really close-up view of how bridges like these were put together.

Laight Milton Viaduct

East Ayrshire,

Very early horse drawn cart plateway bridge. Restored.

Lake Viaduct

Devon

Curved 9 arch stone viaduct. Disused. Part of the Granite Way.

Lambley Viaduct

Northumberland

Stone viaduct. Access from one side only.

Larpool Viaduct

North Yorkshire

279m x 37m. 13 arch viaduct. nr Whitby

Little Petherick Creek Railway Bridge

Cornwall

Just outside Padstow, on the Camel Trail. Turns an 8-mile hilly road route on the A389 from Wadebridge to Padstow into a gentle, flat, quiet and scenic trundle on the old LSWR extension. And for a Sustrans route, the surface isn't too bad either.

Lochearnhead Viaduct

Perthshire

Unofficial access from the A85.

Lock Ken Viaduct

Dumfries and Galloway

Beautiful, remote trestle bridge over a long thin Loch. Private property and barricaded-off (gate and barbed wire), but a good view from the gate. West side has no public access.

Lockhaugh Railway Viaduct

Durham

(9 Arches Viaduct, Rowlands Gill Viaduct)

This viaduct is the most spectacular on the line, but a good walk form the nearest parking, albeit on a gentle railway line path. Just to confuse, if people refer to Rowlands Gill viaduct, they usually mean this more spectacular one, not the one near the village. There are 4 viaducts on the old line between Swalwell and Consett which passes through Rowlands Gill. Going west from the Nine Arches (this viaduct) at Lockhaugh, there's a second, "Rowlands Gill", over the river Derwent in the village of Rowlands Gill, then beyond Lintz Green station there's a short one over Fogoes Burn and finally one over Pont Burn. They're all fully accessible on the Derwent Walk Railway Path.

Logierait Viaduct

Perth and Kinross

Disused. Bridge over the River Tay. Near Perth.

Maidstone River Medway Footbridge

Kent

Footbridge alongside rail bridge. Links Maidstone East to Barracks stations

Mann Dam Viaduct

West Yorkshire

A special case. A pedestrian viaduct over a reservoir to access a now closed station.

Martholme Viaduct

Lancashire

Disused. Access from south end only. [Nov-2013] Local plans to reopen it as a greenway. North end blocked by a caravan park fence.

Meldon Viaduct

Devon

Disused. 163m x 46m trestle viaduct. Nr Okehampton, Dartmoor NP. An impressive 120ft high, is available to walkers and cyclists as part of the 'Granite Way'.

Midford Viaduct

Somerset

Disused viaduct. S of Bath. If you go to the southern end of the east parapet you can just about get the same view looking northwards back towards Midford station and over the GWR viaduct, as seen at the start of the Titfield Thunderbolt where the Somerset & Dorset train passes over the GWR train.

Millers Dale Viaduct

Derbyshire

On the Monsal Trail (disused railway path), a viaduct. 1km west along the trail is bridge followed by a tunnel.

Monks Bridge Viaduct

Leeds

'High level' garden on top of a short disused viaduct. Partially open [Mar-23]

Neidpath Viaduct

Scottish Borders

Stone skew arch bridge over the river Tweed

Newton Cap Viaduct

Durham

Now the A689

North Water Viaduct

Angus

Views up and down the North Esk valley.

Outwood Viaduct

Manchester

100x x 21m cast iron viaduct over the Irwell

Pensford

Somerset

No access. nr Bristol

Podgill and Merrygill Viaducts

Cumbria

2 disused viaducts for the price of 1. Near Kirby Stephen

Pont Briwet Bridge

Gwynedd

The original wooden bridge was undermined during the construction of its replacement alongside it. Now a soulless concrete road - rail bridge. Still a pretty estuary.

Pontburn Viaduct and Foegoesburn Viaduct

Durham

Pontburn is the highest and longest viaduct on the on the Derwent Railway Trail at 250 yards long and 120 feet high. There are 4 viaducts on the old line between Swalwell and Consett which passes through Rowlands Gill. Going west from the Nine Arches at Lockhaugh, there's a second over the river Derwent in the village of Rowlands Gill, then beyond Lintz Green station there's [these 2] a short one over Fogoes Burn and finally one over Pont Burn. They're all fully accessible on the Derwent Walk Railway Path.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Wrexham

A canal bridge, not a rail bridge, but included as pretty special. Narrow and high, with narrow boats.

Pontrhydyfen Aqueduct

West Glamorgan

Last of its type. Aqueduct used to power waterwheels in an Iron works in the early 19thC. The canal has gone. Its now a walkway,

Pontrhydyfen Viaduct

West Glamorgan

10 arch brick viaduct built to carry the Tonmawr branch of the Port Talbot Railway, it now forms part of the Richard Burton Trail

Pontsarn Viaduct

Merthyr Tydfil

Disused, north of Merthyr, S Wales. Can see it from the road.

Queen Alexandra Bridge

Wearside

Was a road/rail truss bridge. Now just a road/pedestrian bridge.

Riverford Viaduct

Devon

on Ply Valley Trail

Rowlands Gill Viaduct

Durham

Not the famous Rowlands Gill / 9 Arches Viaduct which is east of the town, this is another one on the same railway line path to the south. Easy access. There are 4 viaducts on the old line between Swalwell and Consett which passes through Rowlands Gill. Going west from the Nine Arches at Lockhaugh, there's a second [this one] over the river Derwent in the village of Rowlands Gill, then beyond Lintz Green station there's a short one over Fogoes Burn and finally one over Pont Burn. They're all fully accessible on the Derwent Walk Railway Path.

Royate Hill Viaduct

Bristol

Overgrown linear park part of Royate Hill Nature Reserve in Bristol

Sankey Viaduct

Cheshire

(9 Arches Viaduct)

No access, only a path underneath. 183m x 21m. "The earliest major railway viaduct in the world", designed by George Stephenson, built 1830, and still in use!

Scalby Viaduct

North Yorkshire

now a footpath

Scarborough Bridge

North Yorkshire

Town centre river bridge. In York, not Scarborough

Shin Bridge

Highland

(Invershin Viaduct, Oykel Viaduct)

Truss girders on piers. NE Scotland.

Slapewath Viaduct

North Yorkshire

(Waterfall Viaduct)

Has been open a while even though its not shown on the OS map

Smardale Gill Viaduct

Cumbria

Disused, a great one to walk over in the Cumbrian part of the Yorkshire Dales NP. Different from the nearby Smardale Viaduct on the Settle to Carlisle line.

Spey Viaduct

Moray

On the Spey Way

Tadcaster Viaduct

(Virgin Viaduct)

11 arches over the River Wharfe. Now a footpath

Tavistok Viaduct

Devon

Town centre viaduct. Views of Tavistock across to the tors of Dartmoor

Tay Viaduct

Perth and Kinross

Perth city centre.

Thornton Viaduct

West Yorkshire

Disused. Near Bradford.

Torksey Viaduct

Lincolnshire

Tubular box bridge across the Trent.

Treffry Viaduct

Cornwall

Disused 1844 rail line and aqueduct. The water was for the gravity incline part of the railway.

Tregarth Bridge

Powys

Over the River Ogwen. On the Ogwen Trail, alongside 2 tunnels.

Trent Viaduct - Melbourne

Derbyshire

On the Cloud Trail Greenway. Not sure of the name.

Tucking Mill Viaduct

Somerset

Disused viaduct. S of Bath. Partial view.

Wansford Rail Bridge

Peterborough

Over the river Nene, near Peterborough.

Warrington Railway Bridge

Cheshire

Has a footpath alongside an active line. Not much of a view, but good for trainspotting.

West Vale Viaduct

West Yorkshire

Near Elland, West Yorkshire Can be reached by bus from Halifax or Huddersfield. The higher, but shorter Holywell Green viaduct about half-a-mile futher up the branch is not accessible....but the public footpath which crosses West Vale viaduct passes the end of it and gives a good view of it in winter when there are no leaves on the trees.

Westfield Viaduct

West Lothian

(Avon Viaduct)

Work started to reopen as a footpath

Wharfe Bridge

North Yorkshire

Bridge in Newton Kyme

Wilford Toll Bridge

Nottinghamshire

(Halfpenny Bridge)

Rebuilt road-tram bridge.

Wireworks Bridge

Monmouthshire

(Old Tramway Bridge)

Former branch line off the Wye Valley railway. Picturesque, near Tintern Abbey. Closed as of Mar-23 for renovation.

Wylam Bridge

Northumberland

(Hagg Bank Bridge)

Wrought Iron bridge over the Tyne