The
Ribbleshead Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales is an example of Victorian engineering
at its very best. At 1,320 feet long and 104 feet high, this spectacular
viaduct spans the Ribble Valley and can be seen from miles around. Today
it still carries the Settle-Carlisle Railway, and is one of Yorkshire's most distinctive
landmarks. Two thousand railway workers lived in nearby shanty towns when
the viaduct was built. Work started in 1870 and the viaduct was completed
in 1874. Conditions for the workers or navvies were harsh with atrocious
weather conditions - hundreds of men lost their lives during the construction. There
are memorials along the line to commemorate the lives of the navvies who died
at St Leonards' Church, Chapel-le-Dale and St Mary's Church Outhgill. One
and half million bricks were used in the building of Ribbleshead and some of the
limestone blocks weighed eight tons each. The sheer scale of the structure
is still awe-inspiring: the legs of the viaduct are 45 feet apart and the foundations
extend down 25 feet. |