Catesby Viaduct
Catesby Viaduct
1/8
Watery sunshine silhouettes the viaduct's arches.
Catesby’s 12-arch viaduct crosses the infant River Leam. Opened in 1898 as part of the Great Central’s ‘London Extension’, its construction benefited from the mechanical advantages of steam navvies.
Built in engineering brick, the structure’s survival since closure is a tale of two halves. Although its east side appears largely intact, its western face is crumbling away thanks to the efforts of unchecked tree growth.
It is an elegant and striking structure, boasting vast but gently-graded approach embankments.
March 2009