Former Bradshaw Lane Railway Viaduct - Thelwall, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 22.772 W 002° 32.675
30U E 530293 N 5914588
This bridge is at the end of the Lymm Railway line, a rails-to-trails cycle trail and footpath that follows the route of the former Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway.
Waymark Code: WMWWVP
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/24/2017
Views: 0
The Lymm Railway line follows the route of the former Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway.
"The Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway was a railway line that was in operation from 1 November 1853 to 7 July 1985. The railway was created by an act of parliament on 3 July 1851 to build a line between Timperley Junction on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway(MSJAR), to provide a through route to Manchester, and Warrington Arpley on the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway providing a link with Liverpool."
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After the rail line was abandoned and the track lifted it was adapted as an 8 mile long rails-to-trails recreation route between Broadheath and Latchford Locks. At this point two long distance paths follow it. The Bollin Valley Way which loosely follows the route of the River Bollin and the much longer Trans Pennine Trail.
"The Trans Pennine Trail is an exciting route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders linking the North and Irish seas, passing through the Pennines, alongside rivers and canals and through some of the most historic towns and cities in the North of England."
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The Bridge
This bridge carried the Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway over Bradshaw Lane.
At this point the bridge is 1/3 of a mile away from The Manchester Ship Canal which was built around 35 years after the railway. In order to cross the canal and also allow enough room for the high masts of sailing ships a new high level bridge call Latchford Viaduct was built to cross the canal.
Railway traffic eventually declined but it was the condition of the Latchford Viaduct that finally closed the line as it would have been too expensive to repair.
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Latchford Viaduct is not safe for pedestrians so when the rails to trails cycling and walking route was formed it had to finish before the viaduct, and so it finishes here at this bridge and the trail leads to Bradshaw Lane itself.
The much longer Trans Pennine Trail continues from here with a short road section until it crosses the Manchester Ship Canal on a road bridge and the continues on the north bank of the Ship Canal.