Major repair work needed for Ribblehead Viaduct

More than 2,000 workers constructed the landmark in the early 1870s

Major work is needed to repair one of Yorkshire's most historic landmarks.

A long list of "interventions" are needed on the Ribblehead Viadcut, which rises 104 ft (32m) above the valley below it, according to Network Rail.

The grade II listed structure opened in 1875 and carries the Settle to Carlisle railway line.

Network Rail said there are numerous defects to masonry, fractures to the arches and piers and problems with the drainage system.

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In its application for planning consent to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Network Rail say "a programme of remedial interventions is required to prevent these defects escalating into a more significant and complex concern".

The structure, which has 24 arches and is 1,318 ft (402m) long, took about five years to build and more than 100 workers died during its construction.

The 2,000 workers lived in a shantytown built in valley below which was the inspiration for the ITV television series Jericho.

The viaduct is still used for passenger and freight trains almost 150 years after it opened

Network Rail say minimising the risk to workers during repairs is a priority and the work will range from stitching fractures in masonry, inserting anchors, reinforcing stone and repainting metalwork.

"The interventions are consistent with the sympathetic ongoing maintenance of this historic structure," a spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They added: "The scale of intervention is the minimum required to preserve this iconic structure whilst ensuring the safe running of the Settle and Carlisle line and the safety of the public visiting to enjoy the structure."