Long Cut End Viaduct Bridge - 1847 - Dewsbury, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 40.734 W 001° 39.020
30U E 589147 N 5948643
This cast iron arch railway bridge carries the Huddersfield Rail line over the Calder and Hebble Navigation. The base of the arch has the name of the manufacturer and the date of 1847 cast into it.
Waymark Code: WMND7G
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/18/2015
Views: 3
The Calder and Hebble Navigation completed in 1770 consisted of artificial improvements to the River Calder and River Hebble to allow canal boats use what used to be un-navigable rivers.
It ran for 21 miles from the Aire and Calder Navigation at Wakefield to Sowerby Bridge, was one of the first navigable waterways into the Pennines. It was an extension westwards of the Aire and Calder Navigation.
Work began in 1758 to make the River Calder navigable above Wakefield. The navigation to Sowerby Bridge was completed in 1770, including a short branch to Dewsbury.
The Railway Bridge
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express. The line connects Leeds and Huddersfield with Manchester (Victoria & Piccadilly), Manchester Airport and Liverpool.
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The bridge carries the line between Dewsbury and Ravensthorpe stations. It crosses one of the artificail cuts on the River Calder known as the Long Cut. It is close to the upstream end of the cut.
The cast iron part of the bridge was built by Joseph Butler & Co of Leeds 77 years after the canal opened. It became an English Heritage Grade II Listed Building in 1985.
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The bridge and the cast name and date stamp are visible from the tow path of the navigation.