# Percy Beck viaduct/Lartington West Signal box, Teesdale, May 2015



## HughieD (May 28, 2015)

OK…second report on the former Darlington to Penrith railway line. Two things here as individually they wouldn't merit a full report on their own. I’ve grouped them together as they both lie on the section of the line west of Barnard Castle. The first is just west of Castle Barnard itself. It’s the viaduct over Percy Beck. Hidden amongst the trees of Flatts Woods, the trains for Stainmore and Middleton-in-Teesdale crossed it as they headed out of the town's station. The station has been levelled and now plays host an industrial estate. The support pillars have insets that lighten their load. The viaduct was built in 1860, opened in a year later and was in use until the line’s closure in 1964. Flatts Wood is now trying to reclaim the viaduct which currently carries a road over the deep valley to a private farm. Back in 1968, four years after closure, it all looked very different:







In November 1994 the viaduct was awarded a Grade II listing. It is built of rock-faced sandstone with fire-brick arches. It is one of the few remaining bridges on this line.

Here are the pictures:


img9292 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9290 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9289 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9288 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9285 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9283 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9294 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The second location is the signal box at Lartington. The Lartington West signal box is just clinging to life near the northern abutment of Deepdale Viaduct, at the foot of the steep climb up to Stainmore. The line past the box, built by the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway, was engineered by Thomas Bouch and was operational from 1861 until 1962. The steps up to the cabin are long gone. When the railway closed BR appears to have boarded up the box and left it. The local farmer who now owns the structure uses it as a store and it has a sturdy looking padlock on the door so externals only here I’m afraid. Here are the pictures:


img9404 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9402 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9401 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9405 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


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## krela (May 29, 2015)

Wow this line seems to be a treasure trove of charming remains. You're doing a great job with it. Thanks!


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## flyboys90 (May 29, 2015)

Superb collection of shots.Thanks for sharing.


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## UrbanX (May 29, 2015)

Fantastic photos as usual! That viaduct needs abseiling off of!  

Thanks for sharing


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## The Wombat (May 29, 2015)

I love old viaducts
Great work Hughie


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## tumble112 (May 29, 2015)

I didn't realise there was so much of this line left. Pity the Belah Viaduct is gone. Another great post.


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## Mikeymutt (May 29, 2015)

Lovely stuff hughie..that viaduct is just so full of character..thank you.


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## HughieD (May 30, 2015)

Cheersd folks. Yup - a real treasure trove of a line. So much to explore in a relatively short stretch of line.


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## HughieD (May 30, 2015)

tumble1 said:


> I didn't realise there was so much of this line left. Pity the Belah Viaduct is gone. Another great post.



Cheers fella. Had Belah on the list but time ran out. There's bits of the viaduct left at each end (abutments) plus a very worse for wear signal box. Also didn't get to see the abutments that carried the line over the Tees River just west of Barnard Castle. Next time...


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## GPSJim (May 30, 2015)

UrbanX said:


> That viaduct needs abseiling off of!



You read my mind!


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