Outwood Viaduct
Encyclopedia
Outwood Viaduct is a Grade II listed railway viaduct crossing the River Irwell
in Radcliffe
, Greater Manchester
. It no longer carries trains, and after a period of disuse was restored and opened to the general public as part of a footpath.
, to carry trains across the River Irwell on the Clifton Junction to Bury line. It is 340 feet (103.6 m) long, and carries the line 70 feet (21.3 m) above the Irwell. The inaugural date for the timber structure was 25 September 1846. The superstructure was converted to cast iron in 1881 by Handyside and Company
of Derby
.. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
replaced the timber decking in 1923.
The closest station was Radcliffe Bridge
, heading southwest to Clifton
the following station was Ringley Road
.
Having been closed to railway traffic in 1966, it was restored and subsequently re-opened to the general public on 25 June 1999 by Sir William McAlpine, President of the Railway Heritage Trust.
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
in Radcliffe
Radcliffe, Greater Manchester
Radcliffe is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the course of the River Irwell, south-west of Bury and north-northwest of Manchester. Radcliffe is contiguous with the town of Whitefield to the...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. It no longer carries trains, and after a period of disuse was restored and opened to the general public as part of a footpath.
History
The viaduct was built by contractors for the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale RailwayManchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway
The Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway, opened in 1846, ran between the towns of Clifton and Bury in what is now Greater Manchester, and the district of Rossendale in Lancashire...
, to carry trains across the River Irwell on the Clifton Junction to Bury line. It is 340 feet (103.6 m) long, and carries the line 70 feet (21.3 m) above the Irwell. The inaugural date for the timber structure was 25 September 1846. The superstructure was converted to cast iron in 1881 by Handyside and Company
Andrew Handyside
Andrew Handyside and Company was an iron founder in Derby, England in the nineteenth century.-Biography:Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1805, Handyside worked in his uncle Charles Baird's engineering business in St. Petersburg before taking over the Brittania Foundry in 1848...
of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
.. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
replaced the timber decking in 1923.
The closest station was Radcliffe Bridge
Radcliffe Bridge railway station
Radcliffe Bridge railway station was a Railway Station in Radcliffe built on the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway line, between Bury and Clifton, both in Greater Manchester...
, heading southwest to Clifton
Clifton, Greater Manchester
Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley in the northern part of the City of Salford....
the following station was Ringley Road
Ringley Road railway station
Ringley Road Railway Station was a railway station built on the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway line, between Radcliffe and Clifton , in Greater Manchester.-History:...
.
Having been closed to railway traffic in 1966, it was restored and subsequently re-opened to the general public on 25 June 1999 by Sir William McAlpine, President of the Railway Heritage Trust.