22nd January 2024: Harringworth Viaduct, a talk by John Hillier

John began by comparing this viaduct with that of the nationally better known Ribblehead viaduct. They were both built for the Midland Railway in its drive north and south in the 1870s; the latter has taller arches, but Harringworth is far longer with 82 arches and at 1275 yards long is the longest masonry structure in the UK. It straddles the border between Northamptonshire and Rutland across the wide Welland valley.

As a resident from just across the Northamptonshire border, John has extensively researched the history of its origins to provide a link from the present Midland Main Line via Leicester at Gretton Junction to Oakham and Melton Mowbray, as another route to Nottingham.

Begun in 1876 and completed in 1878, it was not built without accidents and considerable loss of life, all chronicled by John. The sudden influx of navvies in the area and their pastoral needs attracted the attention of the Rev D Barrett, who published a book “Life and Work among the Navvies”. Several chapels were built in the villages nearby to meet this need, and some still survive, as photographed by John. He has assembled a large number of photographs of the viaduct through the seasons, and showed a selection which included flooding, a variety of trains passing over the structure, and other evidence of its construction including the abandoned earthworks where clay was excavated for the millions of bricks required.

BR’s rationalization of operations in the 1960s saw trains diverted off the route to concentrate on the route via Leicester, resulting in a reduction in the number of Harringworth trains, but it always remained useful as a diversionary route. Recent investment has seen a revival in traffic along the route, as demonstrated by John’s photos of car trains to and from Europe together with a number of steam specials.

Another splendid talk by an accomplished speaker, someone with a long railway career and a leading light in the Bahamas Loco Society.

Richard Deacon
Chairman/Secretary