After a restoration programme to restore Bennerley Viaduct, it is now open to the general public. You can't beat a viaduct, so off we went!
Following the footpath, we climbed the steps up to the viaduct which is about a quarter of a mile long and lays over the River Erewash connecting Derbyshire with Nottinghamshire. There's a wheel trough at the side to help cyclists get their bike up the steps.
From the information along the way, the viaduct was designed by Samuel Abbott and Richard Johnson. It is a grade 2 listed railway viaduct and the contract to build it was given by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) to Benton and Woodiwiss, a Derby railway construction company. This is one of the two surviving wrought iron viaducts in the UK.
A good view from the top but I'm not a lover of heights, so mostly stayed in the middle.
We walked to the end but the last few yards was like an ice rink so we turned back. I didn’t want to have an accident on the top of a viaduct!
The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct have done a really good job in restoring the 'Iron Giant'. The fog really added a lot of atmosphere to our visit.
