Chelfham Viaduct
The largest civil engineering structure on a narrow gauge railway in Britain.
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Chelfham, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 7LA
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Chelfham Viaduct is a railway viaduct built in 1896-7 to carry the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (L&B) across the Stoke Rivers valley. Designed by L&B engineer, FW Chanter, and containing over a quarter of a million Marland bricks, its eight arches - each 13 m (42 ft) wide and 21 m (70 ft) high - mean that the 120 m (400 ft)-long viaduct is the largest narrow gauge railway structure in England. Chelfham Viaduct was Bridge number 22 of the 80 that carried or spanned the railway over its 31 km (19 miles) length.
After the L&B closed in 1935, the 4 stations Chelfham, Bratton Fleming, Blackmoor and Lynton plus the maintenance depot at Pilton Yard were put up for auction in October 1938. The rest of the land either reverted to Barnstaple Town Council in the case of land in Barnstaple originally given to the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway , or elsewhere in between station sold by private treaty, mostly to the adjacent farmers. These sales continued until the 60s, except the odd bit, such as Chelfham Viaduct Bridge 22 and, Michael Bishop believes, the trackbed leading up to it from Bridge 21. The viaduct, however, was not sold so it remained in Southern Railway ownership, passing to British Railways on the nationalisation of the railways in Britain in 1948, and eventually BRB (Residuary) Ltd, formally a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority (now Network Rail). The residuary company is still owned by the UK Government and reports to the Department for Transport. Ownership may now reside with Highways England's subsiduary Highways England Historical Estate plc.
In 2000, the viaduct was extensively restored, including the fitting of a waterproof membrane to the deck, improvements to rainwater drainage, and restoration of the parapets, leaving the structure once again ready to carry rail transport. The extra work beyond merely preserving the structure was paid for by the L&B Project - which owns the nearby station - as part of long-term plans to reopen this part of the line to regular passenger services. The viaduct was classified as a Grade II Listed Structure in 1965.
The above text was updated in August 2021 as a result of information gratefully received from Michael Bishop .
By road: The viaduct dominates the village of Chelfham near Barnstaple. The former station adjacent to the viaduct is now a private house.
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