Chelfham Viaduct
Encyclopedia
Chelfham
Viaduct is a railway viaduct
built in 1896-7 to carry the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
(L&B) across the Stoke Rivers valley. Designed by L&B engineer, FW Chanter, and containing over a quarter of a million Marland bricks, its eight arches - each 42 feet (12.8 m) wide and 70 feet (21.3 m) high - meaning that the 400 feet (121.9 m)-long viaduct is the largest narrow gauge railway structure in England. Chelfham Viaduct was Bridge number 22 of the 80 that carried or spanned the railway over its 19 miles (30.6 km) length.
, representing the Franco-Belgian border. It is probable that such a redundant structure would normally have been dismantled, either then, or shortly afterwards during the war
, as happened to the smaller viaduct at Lancey Brook, which was destroyed as a demolition training exercise by the Army. However, a school and other buildings at its base made it uneconomical to dismantle, so it remained in Southern Railway ownership, passing to British Railways on the nationalisation of the railways in Britain in 1948, and eventually BRB (Residuary) Ltd
, formally a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority
(now Network Rail
). The residuary company is still owned by the UK Government and reports to the Department for Transport
.
– which owns the nearby station
– helped fund the upgrading of the waterproof membrane to one suitable for eventual reinstatement of the railway as part of long-term plans to reopen this part of the line to regular passenger services.
The viaduct was classified as a Grade II listed structure on 25 February 1965.
Chelfham
Chelfham is a small borough in North Devon, situated between Bratton Fleming and Barnstaple . The village has a special needs school, and also a disused railway viaduct and station....
Viaduct is a railway viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
built in 1896-7 to carry the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway opened as an independent railway in May 1898. It was a single track narrow gauge railway slightly over long running through the rugged and picturesque area bordering Exmoor in North Devon, England. Although opened after the 1896 Light Railways Act came into force,...
(L&B) across the Stoke Rivers valley. Designed by L&B engineer, FW Chanter, and containing over a quarter of a million Marland bricks, its eight arches - each 42 feet (12.8 m) wide and 70 feet (21.3 m) high - meaning that the 400 feet (121.9 m)-long viaduct is the largest narrow gauge railway structure in England. Chelfham Viaduct was Bridge number 22 of the 80 that carried or spanned the railway over its 19 miles (30.6 km) length.
After closure
After the L&B closed in 1935, the rest of the trackbed, buildings and land from the line was sold at auction in 1938. The viaduct, however, was not sold. In 1943, it featured as a location in the war-time film The Flemish FarmThe Story of a Flemish Farm
The Story of a Flemish Farm is an orchestral suite by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, written as the score for the 1943 film The Flemish Farm - a wartime drama set in occupied Europe, and written when Vaughan Williams was 70....
, representing the Franco-Belgian border. It is probable that such a redundant structure would normally have been dismantled, either then, or shortly afterwards during the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as happened to the smaller viaduct at Lancey Brook, which was destroyed as a demolition training exercise by the Army. However, a school and other buildings at its base made it uneconomical to dismantle, so it remained in Southern Railway ownership, passing to British Railways on the nationalisation of the railways in Britain in 1948, and eventually BRB (Residuary) Ltd
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
, formally a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
(now Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
). The residuary company is still owned by the UK Government and reports to the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
.
Restoration
In 2000, the viaduct was extensively restored, including the fitting of a waterproof membrane to the deck, improvements to rainwater drainage, and restoration of the parapets, leaving the structure once again ready to carry rail transport. The project was funded by BRB and the Railway Heritage Trust. The L&B ProjectLynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust
The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust is an educational charity supporting the rebuilding and operation of the railway by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company, in North Devon, England.- Objects :...
– which owns the nearby station
Chelfham railway station
Chelfham was a station on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line that ran through Exmoor from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon. The station stood at the head of the spectacular Chelfham Viaduct, and served the village of Chelfham below. It opened with the line on 7...
– helped fund the upgrading of the waterproof membrane to one suitable for eventual reinstatement of the railway as part of long-term plans to reopen this part of the line to regular passenger services.
The viaduct was classified as a Grade II listed structure on 25 February 1965.