Viaduct opens to mark 200 years of modern railways

Chelfham Viaduct will open as part of the Railway 200 campaign

A viaduct will open to the public to celebrate 200 years of modern railways.

National Highways said the Chelfham Viaduct, near Barnstaple, in Devon, would open to the public for a historical walk on Saturday and Sunday.

Helene Rossiter, head of Historical Railways Estate (HRE) which maintains the structure, said it was a "special opportunity".

"This is only the second time since the bridge was built in 1896 that it's been open to pedestrians," she said.

Largest in England

Ms Rossiter said HRE maintained more than 3,100 former railway structures that included bridges, tunnels and viaducts across the country.

She added: "Chelfham, like all our structures, is inspected regularly and in recent years we carried out brickwork repairs and vegetation clearance to ensure it stays in good condition and can be enjoyed for many generations to come."

National Highways said the viaduct was the largest narrow-gauge viaduct in England and stood at 70ft (21m) tall and 400ft (122m) long.

The Lynton-Barnstaple railway line ran across it from 1896 until it closed in 1935, it added.

National Highways said it was designed by engineer F W Chanter, more than 250,000 bricks were used in its construction and it cost about £6,500.

It said there would be a full weekend of events to celebrate Railway 200, a campaign to celebrate and inspire a new generation to choose a career in rail.

The viaduct will open 12:00-17:00 BST on Saturday and open again 10:00-16:00 on Sunday.