Castlefield Viaduct
Castlefield Viaduct | |
|---|---|
 Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester | |
| Coordinates | 53°28′30″N 2°15′16″W / 53.47507°N 2.25447°W |
| Owner | Department for Transport |
| Maintained by | National Highways |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 330 m (1,080 ft) |
| Height | 17 m (56 ft) |
| History | |
| Designer | Heenan & Froude |
| Construction end | 1893 |
| Opened | 2022 (as a sky park) |
| Closed | 1954 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Castlefield Railway Viaduct from G-MEX to Dawson Street |
| Designated | 14 February 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1292315 |
| Location | |
 | |
Castlefield Viaduct is a 330 m (1,080 ft) disused railway viaduct built in 1893, which used to carry heavy rail traffic in and out of the Great Northern Warehouse, located in the Castlefield area of Manchester, England.
The Grade II listed[1] viaduct was designed by Heenan & Froude, the same engineering company behind Blackpool Tower.[2] The viaduct is part of the Historical Railways Estate and since 2022 approximately a third of its length is a sky park.
Design
[edit]The viaduct consists of eight steel spans, all to a similar design, totalling 330 metres (1,080 feet) in length and supported on large cast-iron columns which have castellated finials. It is part of a network of railway bridges and viaducts in the Castlefield area. It is on a fork from the line feeding Manchester Central railway station; the fork served Great Northern Warehouse on Deansgate in Manchester city centre. A nearly parallel viaduct built by the Cheshire Lines Committee (also Grade II listed) now carries tram tracks for the Metrolink network.[3][4]
History
[edit]The viaduct was completed in 1893 and closed in 1954,[note 1] at the same time as the warehouse it was built to serve.[3] It was built by Heenan & Froude, a local engineering firm. It was used as a backdrop to several television series, including the Manchester-set soap opera Coronation Street.[6] It sat disused after closure until the 2020s, when it was taken over by the National Trust.[4]
Sky park
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Plans by the National Trust to turn the viaduct into a sky park were unveiled in June 2021,[7][8] with the work starting in March 2022.[9]
The viaduct had a test-opening from summer 2022 to summer 2023, during which time visitors had free guided visits.[10]
In July 2023, the National Trust was granted an extension by Manchester City Council to keep the sky park open until winter 2024. Landscape architects BDP developed plans for the next phase of the viaduct.[11]
In September 2024, details were unveiled to expand the sky park from the current 120 m (390 ft) to its full length.[12] The planning application and listed building applications for phase 2 of the viaduct were submitted to Manchester City Council that same month. Planning approval was granted in April 2025.[13]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Historic England. "Castlefield Railway Viaduct from G-Mex to Dawson Street, Deansgate (1292315)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ Robson, Steve (30 September 2021). "Stunning plans to turn Castlefield Viaduct into urban park boasting secret garden". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ a b Biddle, Gordon (2011). Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures (second ed.). Hersham: Ian Allan. p. 538. ISBN 9780711034914.
- ^ a b c "Castlefield Viaduct's history". National Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ "Castlefield Viaduct: Sky park to open on 30 July". BBC News. Manchester. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ a b Philpott, Hope (22 July 2022). "Manchester 'park in the sky' to open in Grade II-listed former viaduct". The Guardian. Manchester. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Daisy (22 June 2021). "Incredible images show plans for a National Trust park on Castlefield Viaduct". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Finding a future for Castlefield Viaduct". National Trust. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Whelan, Dan (7 March 2022). "Work starts on first phase of £20m Castlefield Viaduct park". Place North West. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Sergeant, Emily (22 July 2022). "Manchester's new 'sky park' on Castlefield Viaduct is opening to the public next weekend". The Manc. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ Lorenzato-Lloyd, Alice (21 July 2023). "Manchester's Much-Loved Sky Park Castlefield Viaduct Will Remain Open For Another Year". Secret Manchester. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ Davies, Ethan (26 September 2024). "New images of planned viaduct sky park expansion". BBC News. Manchester. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "Planning – Application Summary 140875/FO/2024 Use of Castlefield Viaduct Phases 1 and 2 as an urban park (Use Class F2(c)), including installation of stair and lift access to Egerton Street". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
External links
[edit]- National Trust, Castlefield Viaduct
- A fly-through of Castlefield viaduct