Yarm Viaduct

The section of line through Yarm to Eaglescliffe (original Preston) Junction was formally started in July 1847, but work on the viaduct did not commence until 1849. The structure opened up to traffic on 15 May 1852 and it was the last work completed by Grainger as he died two months later in a railway accident in Stockton-on-Tees. The viaduct is noted for its height above the town of Yarm and is variously described as being "towering", "very beautiful" and "great". One local writer described the viaduct as being "acknowledged as the finest in the kingdom". Due to its height and length, when viewing the town from afar (especially from the west) the viaduct is a dominating structure across…

The viaduct extends for over 2,280 ft in a north/south direction over the town of Yarm and across the River Tees. It consists of 43 arches; 41 of them are 40 ft span and are constructed of 7.5 million red bricks. The other two arches are constructed from stone and are 67 ft across with one pier standing in the river. The two spans across the river are composed of 139,000 ft3 of stone and are skewed across the river by 20 degrees. On the downstream side of the viaduct (eastern side) is a large plaque set into the stone section where the bridge spans the river. This commemorates the engineers and contractors on the project. Workers on the structure (navvies) were paid £1 per day with the…