The North Western Railway opened its line from Lancaster to Wennington in 1849, from where it was extended to Clapham a year later, forming a junction with its branch from Settle to Ingleton.

Between Halton and Caton, the line encountered a crook-shaped loop in the River Lune, crossing it on two viaducts. In both cases, the piers have a rectangular section with rounded cutwaters. Like the abutments, they comprise rock-faced sandstone blocks. Timber beams support the deck, above segmental iron arches – six on the west viaduct and five on the east. The parapets are formed of iron latticework.

This section of line closed in 1967 and today the structures host a footpath which is used by an estimated 250,000 people annually. But this had to be diverted in March 2004 after a hole appeared in the deck of the west viaduct. Reopening came in August 2005 after a £880,000 repair and refurbishment project, undertaken by contractors A E Yates of Bolton.

Both the structures have been protected by a Grade II listing since November 1983.