Copley Viaduct
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Visit websiteHalifax was bypassed by the first railways in the area until a steep and difficult single track branch was built from the main line of the Manchester & Leeds Railway at Greetland and this opened in 1844. The West Riding Union Railways was the next on the scene with a line from Sowerby Bridge through Halifax to Low Moor on the way to Bradford. This company, which was itself the result of mergers, was joined to the Manchester & Leeds in 1846 to form the Lancashire & Yorkshire.
The line from Sowerby Bridge suffered from the high cost of the engineering works including two tunnels of over 1 km. and the Copley viaduct. This viaduct crosses the river Calder between Sowerby Bridge and Halifax. It also crosses the Calder & Hebble Navigation. It consists of 21 arches at a height of 20 m (66 ft). It was built for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in 1852 by Sir John Hawkshaw.
By road: Visible from the A6026 east of Sowerby Bridge.
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Forgotten Relics - Listed Bridges and Viaducts