Charwelton To Catesby Viaduct (21st July 2020)

CATESBY TUNNEL TO CATESBY VIADUCT

By Bill Reid

Walking northwards from the tunnel you first meet two metal farm gates. It is easy to open the gates but please close them again after use as there may be
cattle grazing in the fields. It's an easy walk up to the viaduct but there is a gap due to a demolished under bridge just south of the viaduct.

 

 


The bridge to the south of the viaduct has been removed, leaving a gap. You have to drop down the west side of the
embankment and through a farm gate to get to the north side. It is a quite steep climb back onto the track bed. 

 

 
Left: Looking southwards. The farm gate is to the far right that gts you up to te viaduct. Right: From the track bed looking westwards.

 
Left: The scenery looking eastwards. Right: Looking back along the track bed to the tunnel portal. The gap at the under bridge can just be seen.


The embankment has been well eroded and has sunk on the East side leaving the foundations to face the ellaments. You
could scramble over the south end fence but I'm not sure if you could get off the viaduct at the north end. There is still a

little way where you could continue to walk northwards. However, you can't get through to Willoughby. I found being
here
very interesting as it is 54 years since the last time when I motorbiked from Woodford Halse to Willoughby station
site. The ballast had been quite leveled but still rough in places but I manged without much of a problem. Catesby Tunnel
was done in first gear. As soon as you tried to go into second the roughness became very unstable.
My head light was
next to useless in the sooty climate.The weather had been similar in that it was heavily overcast and bleak.

That was the day the Military tried to blow up Woodford depot and failed. It was all over very quickly. There was the
explosion, a great cloud of dust and when it cleared the depot roof had simply raised and fallen back into place.

 They gave up and left it to another day. With a lot of time on my hands I decided to see how far I could get along the
track bed, northwards. I wasn't expecting too much. Charwelton would have been acceptable. When I reached the
tunnel the track bed looked reasonably clear and so I just kept going. It was quite an experience. Just a pity that
I didn't have a camera at the time.


Looking along the Viaduct, northwards. It is difficult to get onto the
viaduct and even then the track bed is so low that it is impossible to see
over the top. There is an even stronger and higher fence at the north end.


Showing the scale and height of this embankment. Just think of the time and effort it took to build these embankments
and track bed. What a waste.


It is a quite steep drop down the east side of the viaduct and a hard
climb
back up. It would be much easier to stay at ground level from the
removed under bridge and walk completely up to and around the
viaduct It is a lot easier to get back up on to the tracked from the west side.

  
The river Leam runs through the center of the viaduct.

 

 

 

  
Left: The eastern side of the viaduct, towards Willoughby.  Right: Sat at this spot on the south end of the viaduct for some refreshments. Looking south towards the
tunnel mouth.

 
West side of the viaduct. Looking northwards.

 

 
Two views showing the height and scale of this grand embankment. Left: You can just make out the viaduct. Right: The embankment with the track bed running
south wards. Both the sites of the tunnel portal and the viaduct are very interesting to visit. I do plan to go back to this site and to possibly manage to venture
northwards as far as it is possible towards Willoughby.

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Back to Charwelton to Catesby Tunnel & Viaduct Index

Other railway walks:

The Dundee & Newtyle Rlwy Walks  Opened in 1831 the route had three incline planes. The first was from the terminal station on Ward Street, up the Dundee Law, where there was
also a tunnel. The second was the Balbeuchley incline at Rosemill and the third at Hatton that ran down to Newtyle station. It was also the very first
passenger train service in Scotland.
Worked by Horse over the levels until the first steam engine was purchased in 1833. Came under the Caladonian Railway with
it's terminal moved to Dundee West station. Passengers
service ended in 1952 and the line totally closed in the mid 60's. The inclines were by-passed in the 1860's.

The Cromford & High Peak Incline railway in Derbyshire has been luckier in having much of it's buildings, including an Engine House preserved. This is what could have happened with
the D&N, indeed, should have happened with at least one of the D&N inclines. However, the C&H gives an excellent comparison
of what the D&N would have looked like, albeit the
inclines were only single track.

Boddam To Ellon Branch (Walks)   By Bill Reid. Ex GNSR branch line.

Dyce To Fraserburgh and Peterhead Walks. Ex GNSR

Bath To Wellow Rlwy Walks Ex Somerset & Dorset Rlwy.

Chippenham To Caln Walk.

Woodford Halse Railway Walks.

The Test Valley Railway Walk. (New Mills To Hayfield).

All My Web Sites (Web Pages, Flickr and Videos).

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