An extraordinary feat of engineering, the 59 arches and 9 million bricks of Fledborough Viaduct – not forgetting its central girder spans – formerly carried the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway for half-a-mile over the River Trent. Its contractors were rewarded to the tune of £65,000 for their troubles.

The line came under the Great Central’s control in 1907. During the 1950s, a restriction was imposed allowing only one train at a time to cross it. This was lifted when the structure was strengthened. The 120-foot austere metal spans which today reach across the river are not original. Four substantial and wider bowstring sections used to sit across the piers.

Traffic ended prematurely in 1980 following a derailment at nearby Clifton-on-Trent. Closure was deemed preferable to the necessary repair work.

Click here for David Gilks and Richard Croft’s pictures.