Historic bridges · East of England
Digswell Viaduct
In or near Digswell.
Digswell Viaduct is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.

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.
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
- District
- Welwyn Hatfield
- Parish
- Welwyn
- Postcode
- AL6 0SP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Welwyn Hatfield
- Established
- 1850
- Nearest railway station
- Welwyn North — 0.6 km
- Opening
- 7 August 1850
Sources
- osm: w1370392515 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Digswell Viaduct (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Welwynviaduct.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Digswell Bridge
Historic bridges · 0.2 km

Digswell
Towns & cities · 0.2 km

High Welwyn
Villages · 0.4 km

Digswell
Villages · 0.5 km

Welwyn North railway station
Heritage railway stations · 0.6 km

Welwyn Roman Baths
Archaeological sites · 1.4 km

Welwyn Garden City
Museums · 1.4 km

Welwyn Roman Baths
Archaeological sites · 1.5 km

Hertfordshire
Museums · 1.5 km

Hawthorne Theatre & Cinema
Theatres · 1.7 km

Garden City Cinema
Theatres · 1.8 km

Cinema at Campus West Welwyn Garden City
Cinemas · 1.8 km
Nearby
Historic bridges · East of England
Digswell Bridge
Digswell Bridge — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-london, United Kingdom.
📷 5Heritage railway stations · East of England
Welwyn North railway station
Welwyn North railway station — a Grade II-listed railway station in england-london, United Kingdom.
Archaeological sites · East of England
Welwyn Roman Baths
The Welwyn Roman Baths are a Roman ruin preserved under the A1(M) just north of modern-day Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England. The baths were a small part of the Dicket Mead villa, which was o
Where to eat & stay near Digswell Viaduct
Places to stay
📷 2Campsites · East of England
Harmergreen Scout Camp Site
Harmergreen Scout Camp Site — a campsite in england london.
Caravan parks · East of England
Commons Wood Caravan and Motorhome Club
Commons Wood Caravan and Motorhome Club — a caravan park in england london.
Hotels · East of England
The White Horse
The White Horse — a hotel in england london.
Hotels · East of England
Salisbury Arms Hotel
Salisbury Arms Hotel — a hotel in england london.
Places to eat & drink
Historic pubs · East of England
The Wellington Inn Hotel
The Wellington Inn Hotel in England East, United Kingdom.
Historic pubs · East of England
Attimore Hall
Attimore Hall in England East, United Kingdom.
📷 6Historic pubs · East of England
The Waggoners Public House
The Waggoners Public House in England East, United Kingdom.
Historic pubs · East of England
Plume Of Feathers Public House
Plume Of Feathers Public House in England East, United Kingdom.
Historic pubs · East of England
The Horns Public House
The Horns Public House in England East, United Kingdom.
Other bridges from this era
📷 5Historic bridges · London
Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic bridges · London
Cannon Street Railway Bridge
Cannon Street Railway Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic bridges · London
Eynsford Viaduct
Eynsford Viaduct is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic bridges · London
Hungerford Bridge
Hungerford Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
More bridges in this region
Historic bridges · East of England
Albert Bridge
Albert Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic bridges · East of England
Bedford Town Bridge
Bedford Town Bridge is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
Historic bridges · East of England
Bethnal Green and King's Lynn Line
Bethnal Green and King's Lynn Line is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
Historic bridges · East of England
Bethnal Green and King's Lynn Line
Bethnal Green and King's Lynn Line is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
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.