Nene Viaduct
Nene Viaduct | |
|---|---|
 The viaduct from the River Nene | |
| Coordinates | 52°34′06″N 0°14′44″W / 52.568347°N 0.245527°W |
| Carries | East Coast Main Line |
| Crosses | River Nene |
| Locale | Peterborough, England |
| Named for | River Nene |
| Maintained by | Network Rail |
| Heritage status | Grade II* listed |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Electrified | Yes |
| History | |
| Architect | William Cubitt Joseph Cubitt |
| Built | 1850 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Nene Viaduct is a railway viaduct that carries the East Coast Main Line on the River Nene in the East of England. It is situated immediately south of Peterborough railway station, and its two tracks still carry high-speed trains in the modern day. It has been a Grade II* listed building since 1998, and has been listed as one of the fifty most defining structures in Peterborough.
Built to carry the Great Northern Railway, the viaduct was designed by engineers William Cubitt and Joseph Cubitt, with construction finishing in 1850 as one of the last parts of the track between London and Werrington to be laid. The viaduct was strengthened in 1910 and 1914 and blue engineering brick has been added to some parts since the viaduct was built. When the line was quadrupled in 1924, a second bridge was constructed which is attached to the abutments of the first. However, this is not considered to be part of the structure.
Design
[edit]The East Coast Main Line is a railway that runs between Kings Cross in London and Edinburgh Waverley stations, and it forms a vital part of the UK's railway network.[1] The viaduct is bridge number 184 on the line,[2] and where the Up lines cross the River Nene immediately to the south of Peterborough railway station,[3][4] which serves the city of the same name.[4]
The bridge has three arches, which are built from cast iron, and white brick and stone facings.[4] The viaduct's abutments are built from white brick, although some now have blue engineering bricks as well. The abutments are adorned with details moulded from ashlar stone, and the side sections' bricks are blue and surround the arches.[2] The pillars were bought from the quadrant in Regent Street, London.[5][6]
The viaduct comprises three arches, which are each formed from six curved girders. These are supported by two sets of twelve cast iron columns, which are fluted in the Doric style, but lack bases. The columns stand on two cast iron caissons sunk into the riverbed, and an ornate iron balustrade tops the bridge. This stands out clearly in contrast to the second bridge, which is not considered part of the viaduct.[2][4]
History
[edit]
The viaduct was built in 1850 to carry the Great Northern Railway over the River Nene. It was designed by railway engineer William Cubitt and his son Joseph Cubitt,[4] and built by contractor Thomas Brassey.[7] The construction process for the bridge began with sinking the caissons into the riverbed, which then formed a stable base on which the columns would be supported. These were then used to support the metal spans and the brick abutments, which were built on the riverbanks.[4]
On 29–30 July 1850, George Wynne of the Royal Engineers inspected the Great Northern Railway between London and Werrington. He found that the track bed was yet to be laid over the viaduct as well as in other places, and so deemed the line unsafe for use. At the time, the expected completion date for the track bed was 2 August.[8]
On 21 August 1865, a collision occurred on the viaduct when a goods train could not properly climb the gradient south of Peterborough railway station, and was hit by another goods train travelling behind it. There were no serious injuries or deaths; the viaduct sustained minor damages as a result of the accident.[9]
The viaduct was strengthened using steel ties, first in 1910 and then again in 1914.[2] When Peterborough gained new railway links in 1924, the railway was expanded from two tracks to four tracks, and thus a second bridge was built to carry these across the River Nene.[2][10] The second bridge is a steel truss bridge called a Whipple Murphy truss bridge;[3] whilst it is abutted to the viaduct, it is it is not considered part of it and is not a listed structure.[2][10][4] The trusses of the second bridge have been claimed to "dominate" the view and negate from the viaduct's contribution to the landscape.[11]
The viaduct has been Grade II* listed building since 24 October 1998,[2] meaning that it is a "particularly important [structure] of special interest".[12] It is still used by high-speed modern trains every day.[4] Today, the viaduct is the last example of cast-iron engineering that is still in use on a mainline railway,[4] and this is recognised by a plaque on the bridge.[10] It has been listed by author Lorna Talbott as one of the fifty most defining structures in Peterborough.[4][13] The viaduct has also been noted for passengers' ability to see Peterborough Cathedral from their train as it passes over.[14][15]
See also
[edit]
- Grade II* listed buildings in Peterborough
- List of railway bridges and viaducts in the United Kingdom
References
[edit]- ^ "Route Plans 2010: Route Plan G East Coast & North East" (PDF). Network Rail. 31 March 2010. p.5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Historic England. "Great Northern Railway Bridge Number 184 (1126894)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b Labrum, E. A. (1994). Civil Engineering Heritage: Eastern and central England. Thomas Telford. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-0-7277-1970-6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Talbott, Lorna (2024). "21. Nene Viaduct (1850)". Peterborough in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-3981-1360-2.
- ^ Bradshaw, George (1858). Bradshaw's Handbook for Tourists in Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. I. p. 97.
- ^ "The Quadrant, Regent Street". London Museum. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Historic Cast Iron Bridge. Abutment of the Nene Viaduct: Peter Brotherhood Ltd. 1989. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Wynne, George; Simmons, Charles (1851). "Great Northern Railway". Report of the Commissioners of Railways. H.M. Stationery Office: 25 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Chapter of Accidents". The Examiner (3004). London: George Lapham: 545. 1865 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Biddle, Gordon. Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures (Second ed.). Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 231–232. ISBN 9780711034914.
- ^ Biddle, Gordon (31 August 2016). "Rural bridges and viaducts". Railways in the Landscape. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-4738-6237-1.
- ^ "What Are Listed Buildings? | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Briggs, Stephen (3 March 2024). "New book tells the story of Peterborough - through the history of 50 iconic city buildings". Peterborough Telegraph. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Hillier-Graves, Tim (30 December 2023). Flying Scotsman, and the Story of Gresley's First Pacific Locomotives. Casemate Publishers. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-3990-5956-5.
- ^ Rose, John (1986). Solidarity Forever: 100 Years of Kings Cross ASLEF. Kings Cross ASLEF. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-9512035-0-7.
