Ribblehead Viaduct: Major restoration work begins

The Grade II listed Ribblehead Viaduct, which opened in 1875, is 104 ft (32m) high with 24 arches spanning the 1,318 ft (402m) long structure

Scaffolding is being erected on one of Yorkshire's most historic landmarks as a £2.1m restoration project begins.

The Grade II listed Ribblehead Viaduct, which is 104 ft (32m) high, opened in 1875 and carries the Settle to Carlisle railway line.

Network Rail said it needed to re-point eroded mortar joints and replace broken stones on all 24 arches which span the 1,318 ft (402m) long structure.

The repair work is expected to finish by the end of February.

Owned by Network Rail, bosses said it had taken "months of painstaking work to refine the plans" which included analysing ten samples of mortar from the viaduct "to ensure that the mix used in the repair will be as close to the original as possible".

Scaffolding is being erected for the mortar to be repointed and broken stones to be replaced

Phil James, North West route director at Network Rail, said: "It's a privilege to look after so many significant buildings and structures across the rail network, but Ribblehead Viaduct has got to be one of the crown jewels of Victorian civil engineering.

"We know the structure is incredibly important both locally and internationally and we want to give it the care and attention that it deserves so it can be enjoyed by future generations of passengers and sightseers."

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said it was "the first major repairs since the 1990s".

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

Jim Munday, from the authority, said: "If you asked anyone in England to picture a train on a viaduct, they'd probably think of Ribblehead Viaduct. It is a star attraction for our area, although it is but one of many superb Victorian viaducts in the Yorkshire Dales National Park."

More than 100 workers died during its construction, which took about five years to complete.

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