Lambley Viaduct. May 2009.

[Sabtr]

Bigloada and myself decided to visit this site after some cancelled mine exploration.

Lambley Viaduct was built by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway Company. It was opened on 17th November 1852 and was the final link in the Haltwhistle to Alston Branch Railway.

The Haltwhistle to Alston Branch Railway finally closed in 1976.

In 1994 a detailed survey was undertaken to highlight what work was needed to save the viaduct. During 1995/1996 the grade 2 listed structure was restored.

Nowadays the viaduct serves as a cycleway/ footpath.

Restored trackbed with random tourist.



An old photo I borrowed from the nearby notice board. Notice the need for two engines due to the gradients.



This image shows the bend on the above image. Note the structural steelwork bolting the viaduct together.



Looking down to a footbridge 32 metres below.



Spanning the river South Tyne.





Thanks for looking.

 

[CHEWY]

Looks good

i'd be tempted to get the ropes out for some abseil action

 

[Sabtr]

Looks good

i'd be tempted to get the ropes out for some abseil action

Haha I've heard that somewhere else.

It was a heck of a way down mind - there are slopes at each side though.

 

[BigLoada]

Nice pics and glad you put the old photo up too. I wont bother putting any of mine up as they are the same as yours

I should have brought the SRT gear, it would have been fun!

 

[Sabtr]

Remember the concrete foot bridge BigLoada?

I am glad this one is off our list - we still have hundreds to do mind....

 

[Foxylady]

The views from the top made my toes curl, but apart from that...excellent pics!
Nice looking viaduct.

 

[Sabtr]

The views from the top made my toes curl, but apart from that...excellent pics!
Nice looking viaduct.

You know Foxy some places do that to me and I was a little scared coming here but it was fine. Despite the height it felt "safe". I think it was because of the shape of the valley and the trees below.

I would love to cycle from Alston down to Haltwhistle - it's downhill and I'm unfit!

 

[BigLoada]

You know Foxy some places do that to me and I was a little scared coming here but it was fine. Despite the height it felt "safe". I think it was because of the shape of the valley and the trees below.

So why were you jumping up and down on the footbridge, making it flex and terrifying me?! You are nuts sometimes y'know that?

 

[Sabtr]

So why were you jumping up and down on the footbridge, making it flex and terrifying me?! You are nuts sometimes y'know that?

I did it because I knew the engineering and theory behind its construction. The look on your face was so funny. I'm sure your feet left the ground a few times. You did a "Flanders scream" !!

 

[VforVendetta]

nice explore we have a similar one only the new LUAS tram has been put on it.

 

[Black Shuck]

The views from the top made my toes curl, but apart from that...excellent pics!
Nice looking viaduct.

Likewise, more or less the same with me. I love viaducts, good shots by the way Boys!, but I an extremely scared of heights although I guess if I was with someone I think it could be o.k.

 

[Sabtr]

Likewise, more or less the same with me. I love viaducts, good shots by the way Boys!, but I an extremely scared of heights although I guess if I was with someone I think it could be o.k.

You get used to it mate! Imagine.. finding what looks like an old concrete floor where a building once stood - like a smooth kitchen floor. In the center is a hole about 4 inches across. I found one when I was a kid. I would drop stones down it. We would wait 30 seconds before hearing a splash. Eventually it was capped with a hooge concrete slab when we were at school. In later years we found out that it was an old coal shaft.
It terrifies me now thinking about it! A hole hundreds and hundreds of feet deep and me sitting on paper thin concrete (weak concrete!) playing splash. Now that's scary.

Thank you for the kind comments by the way.

 

[Black Shuck]

You get used to it mate! Imagine.. finding what looks like an old concrete floor where a building once stood - like a smooth kitchen floor. In the center is a hole about 4 inches across. I found one when I was a kid. I would drop stones down it. We would wait 30 seconds before hearing a splash. Eventually it was capped with a hooge concrete slab when we were at school. In later years we found out that it was an old coal shaft.
It terrifies me now thinking about it! A hole hundreds and hundreds of feet deep and me sitting on paper thin concrete (weak concrete!) playing splash. Now that's scary.

Thank you for the kind comments by the way.

You are most welcome Sausage! I guess as kids we really do not realise the danger until we are older. A mine shaft could be really good for an explore but I guess you would have to be extremely careful. There are not a lot of High places where I come from as we only have 2 Viaducts one in service and one disused and one disused tunnel that is only 60 yards long. You and Big Loada are really lucky living where you do with all that industrial stuff to explore!. I love all that Heavy industry style but we are very rural and a lot of what we do have is farming related or if industrial then either a watermill or a Windmill either drainage or Corn Grinder! Never mind!