Low Briery Bowstring, (Bridge 66) CKPR, Greta Gorge. Cumbria
N 54° 36.529 W 003° 06.290
30U E 493229 N 6051267
The Cockermouth Keswick Penrith railway CKPR ran through the Greta Gorge by a series of beautiful bowstring bridges from 1862 to 1972. Nowadays it is a heavily used cycle way and footpath. This is bridge 66.
Waymark Code: WM69HM
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/28/2009
Views: 3
All the bridges were built as single line for lightweight traffic to a custom design by engineer Sir Thomas Bouch. He had just finished designing and overseeing the bridges on the Stainmore railway. The Greta Gorge required a different design brief.
During the life of the railway they were all strengthened with huge I section girders underneath or outriggers above if river clearance was a concern. The river Greta often floods and the inverted bowstring had to clear the flood level. Inverted bowstrings were used so as not to obstruct the passengers view. Tourism potential already a concern.
The bridge at Low Briery is an inverted bowstring made of wrought iron. It was initially strengthened after 1914. Although the CKPR directors owned the line, they did not run any stock on it. Passengers were carried by LNWR and goods by NER. LNWR wanted to run heavier engines. The directors dragged their heals in reinforcing the bridges, calling for many inspections and engineer reports. Resulting in a 45 mph speed limit. No trouble for the slow goods trains, but a cramp for the sprightly passengers trains coming downhill.
Coordinates are of the bridge centre. Walk or cycle along the trackway which is now a public thoroughfare,
Source H Bowtell's book "Rails through Lakeland"
Source book: Rails through Lakeland by Harold D Bowtell
Links
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