Newly-opened Bennerley Viaduct awarded lottery cash

The 1,410ft (430m) "Iron Giant" stretches between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

A Victorian railway bridge that recently reopened after more than five decades of dereliction has been awarded £250,000 of lottery funding.

Bennerley Viaduct, which runs between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, reopened to the public after £1.7m of repairs to turn it into a footbridge.

The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct said the money would fund a project to help secure the future of the "Iron Giant".

The Bridging the Gap project is due to run from March until February 2024.

Bennerley Viaduct opened as a railway bridge in 1877 but was closed as part of the Beeching railway cuts in 1968.

Work to repair, restore and re-purpose the previously at-risk structure, which included installing a new full length deck, started in 2017.

The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct said the money, from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, would allow them to employ three staff members.

A "key element" of the lottery-funded project will be a "close link" with Erewash Museum in Ilkeston that will act as a "visitor hub", offering an exhibition and talks about the viaduct's history.

Jeff Wynch, chair of the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct committee, said: "We want visitors to come to the museum and Ilkeston town centre as part of their trip to see the viaduct.

"We're also encouraging people to use sustainable travel such as public transport, cycling and walking to get to the viaduct."

The iron bridge is open to cyclists and pedestrians