Unusual bridge at side of A72 near Kirkdean

[Joe MCMLXI]

I often travel to Scotland with work and always try to take the more scenic routes, I use the Moffat to Edinburgh route quite frequently and use the A701/A72.

 

Several times now, I have spotted a robust, single arch bridge ( with handrails ) but seemingly with no purpose?

 

Has anyone else noticed it and is it railway related? It seems too narrow for a road bridge, too substantial for a footpath.

 

The bridge is all most hidden by the farm when you drive past, 

 

Its fascinates me when I drive past, there seems to be no trace of a railway in the area? So I am confused as to what it was used for?

 

It can be seen on this google maps image..... its a place called ' Bryland Bridge', just southwest of the A72/A721 junction.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.6737765,-3.4126401,3a,75y,269.62h,91.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sunaE9d45Jf4MVeDaJ6VH3A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

anyone know?

 

cheers

 

Joe

 

 

[Fat Controller]

Could it be the route of the former line from Peebles to Syminton?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symington,_Biggar_and_Broughton_Railway

['CHARD]

Old Maps gives its identity as an aqueduct, on the 1909-1912 1:10,560 OS County series Map for Peeblesshire.

[Caley Jim]

Could it be the route of the former line from Peebles to Syminton?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symington,_Biggar_and_Broughton_Railway

No, that is further east and follows the line of the Broughton to Lynn via Stobo road.

 

Could this be it?

 

 

 

Bottom right corner of this map  http://maps.nls.uk/view/82897254 

 

If so you'll see it's an aqueduct.

 

Jim (a few miles away in Biggar)

[NittenDormer]

You can see quite a lot of earthworks, bridges etc from what I presume is the Talla railway, which ran, according to that same article, from Broughton to said reservoir (just past the Crook Inn). Is that it? I know the place you mean but can't recall which side of Broughton it is.

[TheSignalEngineer]

No, that is further east and follows the line of the Broughton to Lynn via Stobo road.

 

Could this be it?

 

 Capture.JPG

 

Bottom right corner of this map  http://maps.nls.uk/view/82897254 

 

If so you'll see it's an aqueduct.

 

Jim (a few miles away in Biggar)

The aqueduct is also clearly visible from the road where it crosses Tarth Water at Blyth Bridge.

[Joe MCMLXI]

Thank you for the replies.

 

Yes, I believe that is it Jim....many thanks for solving my 'mystery'!

 

Cheers joe.

 

will be disappointed next time I look at it , to know its not railway related.

[Caley Jim]

The NLS maps website is an excellent resource for researching such mysteries, and not just for Scotland. I can (and have) spent hours poking about in it. Amazing what you can find by 'going back in time' especially in your own locality.

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

I should have added that further south on the A72, between The Crook Inn and Broughton, you can see remnants of the line that was built by Edinburgh and District Water Trust for the construction of the Talla reservoir in 1895.  This left the Peebles branch at Broughton and was operated by the contractors, initially James Young, who went bust during the contract, and then by john Best of Leith.  Apart from inspection trains and that for the official opening, the only passenger services were workman's trains.  The reservoir was opened in 1905 and, following abandoned proposals to operate a public service on it, it was offered for sale in 1910 and dismantled by 1912.

 

Jim