page_title: Smardale
section_title: Railways
hierarchical_section_title: Smardale / Geography and history / Railways
caption_attribution_description: English: Smardale Gill Viaduct restored upper deck for walkers looking south east in 2016
context_page_description: Smardale is a small village in Cumbria, England, in the civil parish of Waitby.
context_section_description: Two railway lines ran through Smardale and past the village. The Stainmore Railway passed Smardale on the northern edge of the village, where there was a small halt, Smardale railway station (now a private dwelling). Going westwards it then crossed under the Settle to Carlisle railway line just east of Scandal Beck before curving south through Smardalegill along the east bank. Within Smardalegill the line crosses the beck at a shallow angle by Smardalegill Viaduct. The Settle to Carlisle railway line passes Smardale village to the south, travelling east-west; to the west the line crosses Scandal Beck by Smardale Viaduct.
  Smardale Gill Viaduct predates Smardale Viaduct, being complete in 1861. The viaduct was designed by Sir Thomas Bouch for the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway and the construction contracted to Mr Wrigg, costing £11,928 to build. The bridge, which was built of local stone has 14 arches, and is 90 ft (27 m) high and 550 ft (170 m) long. The line across it remained single tracked despite the structure being wide enough for a double line.
  After the line closed in 1962 the viaduct fell into disrepair, by the 1980s the structure had become dangerous and was to be demolished. Instead the viaduct became a listed building, and British Rail offered £230,000 (the estimated cost of demolition) towards its restoration. A charitable trust, the Northern Viaduct Trust was formed in 1989. The cost of repairs was £350,000 which included masonry repair, a new deck and waterproofing, and structural work to the viaduct. In 1992 the restoration was complete, the viaduct being subsequently used for pedestrian access to Smardale Gill nature reserve.
  In 2010 after a harsh winter it was found that the viaduct had frost damage and required a further £30,000 of repairs.
  Smardale Viaduct was built by the contractors Benton & Woodiwiss for the Settle to Carlisle Line of the Midland Railway. The viaduct is 710 ft (220 m) long and 130 ft (40 m) high, the highest on the line. Over 60,000 long tons (61,000 t) of stone was used in its construction. Local limestone was used for its construction, the arch quoins were of millstone grit. Two of the twelve piers – the fourth and the tenth are of considerably heavier construction. The bridge opened in August 1875 having taken five years to construct, it crosses both Scandal Beck and the former Stainmore railway line.
caption: The viaduct's restored upper deck for use by walkers
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