Imberhorne Viaduct
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Imberhorne Viaduct | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 51°07′23″N 0°01′24″W / 51.123090°N 0.023446°W |
| Carries | Bluebell Railway |
| Locale | East Grinstead, West Sussex, South-East England |
| Other name(s) | Hill Place Viaduct |
| Heritage status | Grade II listed |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 700 feet (210 m) |
| Height | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Lewes and East Grinstead Railway |
| Construction start | 1880 |
| Opened | 1882 |
| Rebuilt | 1992 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | heritage railway |
| Location | |
 | |
Imberhorne Viaduct is a Grade II listed railway viaduct located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, South-East England. Closed in 1958, the structure was brought back into use as part of the preserved Bluebell Railway heritage line in 2013, allowing trains to continue to East Grinstead railway station.
Built to span the lands of Imberhorne Farm, it was designed and engineered by Frederick Banister, then Chief Engineer for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Built as part of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway and built to allow double-track operations, it is 700 feet (210 m) in length and spanning the valley at a maximum height of 90 feet (27 m).[1] Construction started in 1880,[1] with ten brick arches each with a span of 60 feet (18 m) reaching a maximum height of 70 feet (21 m),[1] each having no fewer than eight rings.[2] The parapets have five panels above each arch, and there are brick string courses below. A feature of the viaduct is that the imposts are of stone on the face of the piers, but brick within the arches.[2]
Opened in 1882, and also known as Hill Place Viaduct, it carried the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway south from East Grinstead to Kingscote, and onwards to Lewes.
Closure and listing
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After the closure of the Lewes and East Grinstead Line south from East Grinstead in 1958, the track on the viaduct remained in place to allow the stabling of carriages.[2] Imberhorne cutting located south of the viaduct was designated as a domestic rubbish dump, and infilled with waste during the 1970s.[3] After various local residents requested the demolition of the decaying viaduct, the structure was listed from 15 September 1988.[1]
