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Historic bridges · East of England

Digswell Viaduct

In or near Digswell.

VictorianFree admission🐾 Dog-friendly

Digswell Viaduct is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.

Digswell Viaduct, historic bridges in Hertfordshire

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
15 min–30 min
Nearest railway station
Welwyn North · 0.6 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit Digswell Viaduct, the nearest railway station is Welwyn North, located 0.6 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is AL6 0SP, and entry is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Digswell Viaduct is a named historic bridge in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1850. Coordinates: 51.8189°, -0.1946°.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2019

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

From the Wikipedia article

The Digswell Viaduct, also known as the Welwyn Viaduct and officially the Welwyn Railway Viaduct, is a railway viaduct that carries two tracks of the East Coast Main Line over the Mimram Valley in Hertfordshire, Eastern England. A prominent local landmark, it is located between Welwyn Garden City and Welwyn North railway stations, and is located above the village of Digswell and the River Mimram. Designed by father and son William and Joseph Cubitt, and engineered by Thomas Brassey, the viaduct opened in 1850 and has been a Grade II* listed structure since 1980. The viaduct has forty arches and was originally built from red facing bricks, with blue facing bricks added in the 1930s. Metal gantries were appended to the side of the viaduct in 1980 as part of the electrification of the Great Northern route. At 1,560 feet (475 m) in length and up to 100 ft (30 m) in height, it was one of the largest works on the Great Northern Railway when it opened.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

The viaduct carries the East Coast Main Line across the Mimram Valley. Due to the width of the viaduct, the railway narrows from four tracks to two tracks, making it a bottleneck which is the limiting factor for capacity on the congested and strategically important route. This problem is exacerbated by Welwyn North railway station being situated at the northern end of the viaduct, which blocks the line while trains are stationary, and by two tunnels to the north. Various ideas to overcome the limitations of the viaduct and station without damaging the viaduct's essential historic character and rhythmic design are periodically discussed. The viaduct was styled to be similar to Roman…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.8189, -0.1946
County
Hertfordshire
Parish
Welwyn
Postcode
AL6 0SP
Parliamentary constituency
Welwyn Hatfield
Established
1850
Nearest railway station
Welwyn North0.6 km
Opening
7 August 1850

Sources

Other places nearby

Nearby

Postbox on Hertford Road, Digswell Water - geograph.org.uk - 7206059📷 5

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Villages · East of England

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Villages · East of England

Digswell

Digswell — a village in england london.

Welwyn North railway station (1) - geograph.org.uk - 1555903📷 5

Heritage railway stations · East of England

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Where to eat & stay near Digswell Viaduct

Places to stay

Northern air shaft above Welwyn North tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 2053403📷 2

Campsites · East of England

Harmergreen Scout Camp Site

Harmergreen Scout Camp Site — a campsite in england london.

Spring House Medical Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1950448📷 5

Caravan parks · East of England

Commons Wood Caravan and Motorhome Club

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Seventeenth century stair turret on Amores - geograph.org.uk - 4287396📷 5

Hotels · East of England

The White Horse

The White Horse — a hotel in england london.

whitehorsehertingfordbury.co.uk
Comet Way, Hatfield - geograph.org.uk - 5528671📷 5

Hostels · East of England

Hatfield Hostel

Hatfield Hostel — a hostel in england london.

Comet Racer - geograph.org.uk - 7867364📷 5

Hotels · East of England

The Comet

The Comet — a hotel in england london.

Hertford, Salisbury Arms - geograph.org.uk - 5161910📷 6

Hotels · East of England

Salisbury Arms Hotel

Salisbury Arms Hotel — a hotel in england london.

Freesalisburyarmshotel.co.uk

Places to eat & drink

Welwyn Churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 7994640📷 5

Historic pubs · East of England

The Wellington Inn Hotel

The Wellington Inn Hotel in England East, United Kingdom.

Industrial Units off Ridgeway - geograph.org.uk - 8293572📷 5

Historic pubs · East of England

Attimore Hall

Attimore Hall in England East, United Kingdom.

emberinns.co.uk
The Waggoners public house, Ayot Green - geograph.org.uk - 7205388📷 6

Historic pubs · East of England

The Waggoners Public House

The Waggoners Public House in England East, United Kingdom.

George V postbox on Upper Green, Tewin - geograph.org.uk - 5209398📷 5

Historic pubs · East of England

Plume Of Feathers Public House

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Sign for the Horns, Bull's Green - geograph.org.uk - 4932194📷 5

Historic pubs · East of England

The Horns Public House

The Horns Public House in England East, United Kingdom.

Close up, Elizabeth II postbox, Datchworth Post Office - geograph.org.uk - 4934032📷 5

Restaurants · East of England

The Tilbury

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Digswell Viaduct?
Digswell Viaduct is in Hertfordshire, London, United Kingdom (postcode AL6 0SP), in the parish of Welwyn.
What is Digswell Viaduct?
Digswell Viaduct is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
How do I get to Digswell Viaduct?
The nearest railway station is Welwyn North, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode AL6 0SP.
When was Digswell Viaduct built?
Built or established in 1850.
Is Digswell Viaduct free to visit?
Yes, Digswell Viaduct is free to enter.
How do I get to Digswell Viaduct?
The nearest railway station is Welwyn North, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode AL6 0SP.