Heritage Locations

Todmorden - Lydgate Viaduct
Lydgate Viaduct Lydgate Viaduct - Viewed in 1968 Lydgate Viaduct (Andrew Stopford) Lydgate Viaduct (Don Burgess) Lydgate Viaduct Lydgate Viaduct - Betty Longbottom  

High in the Pennines, Todmorden has a bridge over the Rochdale Canal by George Stephenson and four railway viaducts in the vicinity.


Constructor:
Unclassified

Period of construction:
1800 - 1849

Transport Trust plaque:
No

Transport Mode:
Rail

Address:
Burnley Road, Lydgate, West Yorkshire OL14 8EX

Postcode:
OL14 8EX

Nearest Town:
Todmorden

Heritage Centre:
No


The Manchester & Leeds Railway used the valley of the Calder for its route eastward from the Pennine summit. Just west of Todmorden it was laid on Gauxholme Viaduct, built of 17 low 11 m (35 ft) span arches along the side of the valley.

At Gauxholme Bridge it crossed the Rochdale Canal on a splendid skew bridge of 31 m (102 ft) cast iron span, consisting of a pair of bowed ribs, with vertical hangars projected above the ribs in an ornamental Gothic arcade. The abutments are semi-octagonal castellated turrets. It is an altogether grand spectacle.

In the town centre the railway is carried on the nine arch Todmorden Viaduct, and then over the Lob Mill Viaduct of five arches.

The branch line to Burnley winds its way up a narrow valley and through a tunnel, beyond which is Nott Wood Viaduct with 13 high arches. This was designed by Sir John Hawkshaw in 1849.

All are listed Grade II.


Bibliography:


Bairstow, M., The Manchester & Leeds Railway (The Calder Valley Line), Wyvern Publishing, ISBN 0-90794-106-0 919830 (1983)

Biddle, Gordon, Britain's Historic Railway Buildings, Oxford University Press, ISBN-10: 0198662475 (2003)

Biddle, Gordon & Nock, O.S., The Railway Heritage of Britain : 150 years of railway architecture and engineering, Studio Editions, ISBN-10: 1851705953 (1990)

Heywood, M., Heywood, F.& Jennings, B., A History of Todmorden, Smith Settle Ltd (1996)

Jennings, B., Pennine Valley: History of Upper Calderdale, Dalesman Publishing(1992)

Joy, David, Regional History of the Railways of Britain. South and West Yorkshire. David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 6883 4 (1976)

Marshall, M. The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. David & Charles. ISBN 7153 4352 1  (1969)

Morgan, Bryan, Railways: Civil Engineering, Arrow, ISBN 0 09 908180 6 (1973)

Morgan, Bryan, Railway Relics, Ian Allan, ISBN 0 7110 0092 1 (1969)

Rennison, R.W.& Barbey, M.F. Civil Engineering Heritage, Northern England

Simmons, J., The Railways of Britain, Macmillan, ISBN 0 333 40766 0 (1961-86)

Simmons, J., The Victorian Railway, Thames & Hudson, ISBN 0 500 25110X (1991)

Smith, Martin, British Railway Bridges and Viaducts, Ian Allan, ISBN 0 7110 2273 9 (1994)

Turnock, David, An Historical Geography of Railways, Ashgate, ISBN 1 85928 450 7 (1998)



Opening Times:
Viewable at all times.

How To Find:
By road: Off A646.

Facilities:
http://weather.msn.com/RSS.aspx?wealocations=wc:33543&weadegreetype=C


Todmorden, GBR - Weather via MSN Weather

Weather conditions and forecast for Todmorden, GBR


Current Conditions: Clear in Todmorden, GBR (as of 6:50 AM 5/25/2013)

Current conditions (as of 6:50 AM)
Clear
Clear. 6°C (Feels like 4). Humidity: 87% Winds: 7 km/hr NW.
All times shown are local to Todmorden, GBR.
Detailed ten-day forecast   Hourly weather forecast    Weather maps    Weather averages


Forecast for Saturday, May 25, 2013 for Todmorden, GBR

Today: Fair.Fair Lo: 3°C. Hi: 14°C. Chance of precipitation: 2%
Tomorrow: Partly Cloudy.Partly Cloudy Lo: 5°C. Hi: 14°C. Chance of precipitation: 5%
Monday: Rain.Rain Lo: 6°C. Hi: 10°C. Chance of precipitation: 97%
Tuesday: Showers / Clear.Showers / Clear Lo: 3°C. Hi: 12°C. Chance of precipitation: 98%
Wednesday: Showers / Clear.Showers / Clear Lo: 4°C. Hi: 14°C. Chance of precipitation: 98%

More information at MSN Weather
(Data provided outside US and Canada by Foreca, Data provided for US and Canada by WDT)