Rothbury branch culverts
Rothbury branch culverts
Whilst viaducts and tunnels grab our attention with their scale, they are not the only noteworthy feats crafted by Victorian engineers.
Culverts are used to channel water courses; in a railway context, they generally pass through the foot of embankments. Those built today are rarely more than concrete or steel tubes, but that wasn’t the case in the 19th century – they were more akin to miniature tunnels.
The Rothbury branch in Northumberland provides some fine examples – the three captured in these photographs are all within a mile of Fontburn Viaduct. Their portals have wing walls; their interiors are lined in masonry; their dimensions are generally determined by the volume and flow of the water they are designed to manage.