Thornton Viaduct

The line closed to passengers in 1955 but continued to handle freight trains until 1966. The viaduct is a Grade II listed building, a status which provides it legal protection, first designated on 8 January 1982. The listing authority, Historic England, calls it "one of a spectacular series" of viaducts and a "a finely proportioned structure" which "makes a most important contribution to the landscape". The nearby Hewenden Viaduct is also listed and part of the same cycling route.

The viaduct crosses Pinch Beck in a deep valley below the town. It is one of a series of viaducts on the Great Northern Railway's route from Bradford to Keighley (one of the Queensbury lines). The line was built at enormous expense and over difficult terrain, requiring significant civil engineering works, including Thornton Viaduct and the nearby Hewenden Viaduct. It was designed by John Fraser and built by the contractors Benton and Woodiwiss of Derby. Work began in 1876 and the viaduct opened in 1878 and closed with the line in 1966. The viaduct is 310 yd long and consists of 20 semi-circular arches, each with a span of 40 ft, and reaching a maximum height of almost 100 ft. The arches are…