Penallt Viaduct
Penallt Viaduct
Opened on 1st November 1876, the 14-mile Wye Valley Railway crossed the river three times – at Monmouth, Tintern and Redbrook. The latter involved a single-track curved structure of five girder spans, perched on four pairs of cast iron columns. It carried the line for around 300 feet over the England/Wales border between Redbrook Station – noted for its floral displays – and Penallt Halt which opened in 1931 to serve the small village. The Boat Inn sits in the viaduct’s shadow.
In 1955, a footbridge was added on the west side, offering people a safe alternative to crossing the river along the railway. Four years later, passenger services came to an end.
Despite carrying its last freight on 6th January 1964, the viaduct remains a notable feature within the local landscape although it is in some need of maintenance work. Currently Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire county councils are its joint custodians.
(Graham Horn’s photo, taken from Geograph, is used under this
Creative Commons licence.)
July 2010