A site visit to Bennerley Viaduct an engineering marvel. It stands 20m above the Erewash Valley, and is a quarter of a mile long. This Grade II* listed railway viaduct was built in 1877 by the Great Northern Railway Company. It is the longest wrought iron viaduct in the country and crosses the River Erewash connecting Ilkeston, Derbyshire with Awsworth, Nottinghamshire.
The Iron Giant was described by the World Monuments Fund as an “extraordinary monument” and was included on the 2020 World Monuments Watch, one of only 25 sites chosen globally. Historic England considers the viaduct a “stunning example of the genius of british engineering”.
This is a site visit/private tour, and is also open to friends and family involving a one and half hour walk with accompanying talk. The viaduct is a former railway bridge built nearly 150 years ago. Its new deck is 60 feet above the ground and is accessed by a sloping path at one end and steps at the other. There are exposed iron troughs on the deck which should be avoided as they are very slippery when wet.
Speaker
Peter Harris MIStructE, Friends of Bennerley Viaduct, will conduct the tour.
Peter is a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer who has been involved in the renovation of this iconic structure working with the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct.
Image © Friends of Bennerley Viaduct.