Bennerley Viaduct to be opened as foot and cycle path

[railroadbill]

Not sure if this should be a preservation topic, but interesting article here about long closed Bennerley viaduct which is to be used as a cycle and foot path. Same design as Meldon viaduct (and they are the only 2 bridges of that design left in UK).  Actually a rather impressive structure!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-derbyshire-57399727

[Sheffield]

A good job Highways England were not responsible for the maintenance of it.

[97406]

Great news. Will have to make my way over there when it’s done.

[35A]

There was some very good coverage, a couple of years ago, in Tim Dunn's excellent "The Architecture The Railways Built" series, on the Yesterday channel. It was in series 2, episode 7 (titled "Sheffield"), which is still available via the UK TV catch-up service.

[eastwestdivide]

It’s now open. 
https://www.bennerleyviaduct.org.uk/?p=2784

See you there on Saturday maybe?

[Wickham Green too]

Great news ...... I'd rather see trains running over it but ......................................... ! .......................................

[railroadbill]

That's great. Trip up there later in the year called for.

 

[Compound2632]

The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct were at the Derby Museum of Making's "Full Steam Ahead" event last Saturday - justifiably proud of what has been achieved and getting plenty of publicity - all to the good.

[russ p]

I went under it last Sunday seemed to be quite busy 

[Nearholmer]

I had a look on 'cycle streets', the app that I use for navigation, which is generally incredibly good, but I couldn't see the viaduct, presumably because the underlying mapping hasnt been updated to include it yet.

 

Is it between the S and F flags that i've added?

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

I had a look on 'cycle streets', the app that I use for navigation, which is generally incredibly good, but I couldn't see the viaduct, presumably because the underlying mapping hasnt been updated to include it yet.

 

Is it between the S and F flags that i've added?

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

43 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Is it between the S and F flags that i've added?

 

Yes. Bing maps/OS version here: https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=09528ca2-a6d5-49c5-8318-07c4797f5cbe&cp=52.989382~-1.296711&lvl=16&style=s&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

 

although at least one OS layer is well out of date, showing sidings still in place!

Edited January 24, 2022 by eastwestdivide

[Compound2632]

Well out-of-date map here.

[Mike Bellamy]

6 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct were at the Derby Museum of Making's "Full Steam Ahead" event last Saturday - justifiably proud of what has been achieved and getting plenty of publicity - all to the good.

 

Agreed - I understand that there were 760 visitors to the Museum, which is the most visitors they have had since the full refurbishment and reopening. It was a little disappointing that they haven't had any flyers/brochures printed as the one we were given was from a few years ago at the start of the project and didn't include a map to show where it was. When I enquired about parking for a visit, it was suggested that I use the car park of a disused pub in Cotmanhay - need to go exploring when it's a bit warmer !!

.

[Enterprisingwestern]

5 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

Agreed - I understand that there were 760 visitors to the Museum, which is the most visitors they have had since the full refurbishment and reopening. It was a little disappointing that they haven't had any flyers/brochures printed as the one we were given was from a few years ago at the start of the project and didn't include a map to show where it was. When I enquired about parking for a visit, it was suggested that I use the car park of a disused pub in Cotmanhay - need to go exploring when it's a bit warmer !!

.

 

Cotmanhay?? Wouldn't recommend it!

Park at the Phoenix park tram terminus and follow the line, with slight detours, from there, through Kimberley and on to the viaduct, reckon a return trip is do-able in a steady day.

 

Mike.

[eastwestdivide]

Or an easy enough walk along the canal from Ilkeston station. 

[dagrizz]

There is a small and free car park at Newton Lane which gives a shorter walk either along the canal or down Newton Lane and alongside the railway.

 

Graham 

[eastwestdivide]

Had a good trip out there today. Loads of people visiting. Ramp from canal towpath at W end of the viaduct and steps at the E end. Also a viewpoint from the Nottingham canal towpath on the E side.
Top tip: handy cafe in the mill shop just by Ilkeston station, with a few tables next to the windows on the railway side.  Also I’ve never seen so many moorhens as on the Erewash canal. 
Photos to follow tomorrow. 

[Butler Henderson]

 

[russ p]

13 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

 

 

I subscribe to that blokes channel some I subscribe to his channel.  People like him make far better programmes than a lot of mainstream TV channels 

My pet hate with TV presenters especially prevalent on countryfile is 'ive popped along to lend a hand'

No you haven't you are completely useless with task in hand and keep your arm out of that cows ar$e!

[eastwestdivide]

As promised, pics from my trip yesterday.

We did a clockwise circuit as below from Openstreetmap/Mapometer. Out via the Erewash canal, back via the Nottingham Canal. The numbers are miles from Ilkeston station and the viaduct is at "2" (2 mile marker is obvs on the way back from the E end, so I'd say a mile and a half from the station via the coffee shop in the mill shop shown at "6"). You could extend the walk by a mile or so south from "5" and take in the footbridge at Trowell Junction, and possibly cut off the section through "3" on the map (the only really muddy bit we found) by going direct from the E end of the viaduct to join the Notts canal south of the "3" marker.

 

First at the W end of the viaduct.

Higher fencing over the live railway.

 

 

Remains of coal loading point siding from the little footbridge in the next photo.

 

Northern Leeds/Nottingham service passing under the little footbridge

 

Caught by surprise at the bottom of the stairs - stick phone over railings and hope for the best. Possibly Southampton-Doncaster Iport.

 

Underneath.

 

 

And at the E end...

From the marked viewpoint on the Nottingham canal

 

Interpretation board at that viewpoint. I think they could do with a few more of these at the W end where most people seem to access the viaduct.

 

View from E end, just after coming down the steps there

 

New (or well-restored?) parapet at E end, freight train passing

 

 

Lots of repairs like this to the sections that make up the deck. Still plenty of rusty holes visible.

 

That's it. Definitely worth a visit.

[dagrizz]

I agree with EWD in the post above. We visited today and did a similar walk to EWD but missed out the muddy bit. Lots of people around so hopefully good for the local economy. Thanks to EWD for the cafe recommendation, I had a second breakfast in there. Lots of railwayana on the cafe walls to look at. Across the road from the cafe is Armstrong mill - the place is like the Tardis - its huge, on several floors. SWMBO could have spent hours in there. 

Until today, I wouldn't have thought you could have such a good day out in Ilkeston, we'll be going back soon because I didn't have enough time to visit Malcs models, which I understand is a very good model shop.

Super day, well recommended.

 

Graham

 

[eastwestdivide]

In fact it was the Armstrong mill cafe that we used - we saw the corner cafe with the memorabilia but went in the mill to compare. By the time we’d trekked to the far end with the coffee shop we decided to plonk down there. 

Spoilt for choice at Ilkeston station. Who’d have thought!