Arnside Viaduct

So good, they built it thrice!

The much-cherished Arnside Viaduct went one better than ‘New York, New York’, as the famous song has it: Arnside was so good, they built it thrice!

First up was its stunning debut in 1857: it was a thing of beauty; an invaluable transport link for the folk of old north Lancashire and Westmorland – and a nuisance for the small vessels that brought coal and other products to the traditional landing points at Sandsend and Milnthorpe on the upper Kent Estuary. No longer able to navigate past the low 550-foot viaduct with its 50 piers, the railway company paid for a projecting jetty to be built at Arnside – and a new facility and visitor attraction was born.

It was seen as a small price to pay for the benefits of the coasthugging Cumbrian Coast Line, connecting Barrow-in-Furness with Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Arnside, Silverdale and on to the main West Coast Line at Carnforth and Lancaster. The previously isolated communities were at last put on the transport map, with rail links to the whole of England and Scotland. Engineering buffs will also tell you that Arnside Viaduct was the first to use water jets in the construction of the footings. Revolutionary in its day.

Rebuild Number Two came in 1915 at the height of the First World War, when the viaduct needed to be strengthened to carry ammunition trains from Barrow across the Kent, on to the main West Coast Line, and away to the front lines in Europe. The third rebuild was in 2011, when the deck and upper section was replaced, making the passage of trains crossing the estuary much quieter.

For years there’s been talk of putting a cycle and walkway on the side of the viaduct, but despite much discussion, for the time being a 14-mile detour to Milnthorpe and around the estuary is needed. Perhaps one day this impressive attraction will benefit from such an addition, shortening the journey to a couple of miles.

Address On the B5282, LA5 OHD |

Getting there

The obvious way is by train, of course, with the viaduct linking Arnside with Grange-over-Sands; by car, from the M 6 J 35, head north on the A 6 to Milnthorpe, turn left to Arnside | Hours Accessible to see all-year round | Tip Arnside Chip Shop, near the viaduct, is a treat. In good weather, sit and watch the trains cross, and the flowing waters of the River Kent (www.arnsidechipshop.co.uk).