Dowery Dell
Encyclopedia
Dowery Dell, near Hunnington
in Worcestershire
, was notable for a cast iron railway viaduct that carried the Halesowen to Longbridge railway
until it was dismantled in 1964.
The viaduct was remarkable in being a rare example of a lattice girder
supported on trestles, a combination of which there may have been only one other example (fortunately still extant) in Britain, at Bennerley Viaduct
, though in that instance the trestles are not as high. On other well-known trestle-supported viaducts, such as Meldon
, Belah
, and Crumlin
, the superstructure is not a lattice, being typically a Warren truss
; and other lattice girders are low structures supported typically on iron caissons, such as Kew Railway Bridge.
A walk along the footpath that follows the railway route reveals the brick pillar bases that remain in the dell.
Hunnington
Hunnington is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, close to the border with West Midlands, and just south of Halesowen. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 552...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, was notable for a cast iron railway viaduct that carried the Halesowen to Longbridge railway
Halesowen Joint Railway
The Halesowen Joint Railway was a British pre-grouping railway company that opened a six mile line in 1883 in the Midlands. It later became a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Western Railway....
until it was dismantled in 1964.
The viaduct was remarkable in being a rare example of a lattice girder
Lattice girder
A lattice girder is a girder where the flanges are connected by a lattice web. This type of design has been supplanted in modern construction with welded or bolted plate girders, which use more material but have lower fabrication and maintenance costs...
supported on trestles, a combination of which there may have been only one other example (fortunately still extant) in Britain, at Bennerley Viaduct
Bennerley Viaduct
Bennerley Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct spanning the Erewash Valley between Awsworth in Nottinghamshire and Ilkeston in Derbyshire.- Origins :...
, though in that instance the trestles are not as high. On other well-known trestle-supported viaducts, such as Meldon
Meldon, Devon
Meldon is a village in West Devon in the English county of Devon. Situated close to Okehampton, its best known feature is the Meldon Quarry, from which granite is still extracted...
, Belah
River Belah
The River Belah is a river in the county of Cumbria in England.The Belah is formed by the confluence of several small streams or sikes draining most of north and south Stainmore close to the border with County Durham and Yorkshire. It flows west with South Stainmore to north and Kaber parish to the...
, and Crumlin
Crumlin Viaduct
Crumlin Viaduct was a railway viaduct located above the village of Crumlin in South Wales. Originally built to carry the Taff Vale Extension of the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway across the Ebbw River....
, the superstructure is not a lattice, being typically a Warren truss
Warren Truss
Warren Errol Truss , Australian politician, is the current leader of the National Party of Australia in the Parliament of Australia. He has held the House of Representatives seat of Wide Bay since the 1990 election...
; and other lattice girders are low structures supported typically on iron caissons, such as Kew Railway Bridge.
A walk along the footpath that follows the railway route reveals the brick pillar bases that remain in the dell.