Imberhorne Viaduct facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Imberhorne Viaduct |
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| 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) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Lewes and East Grinstead Railway |
| Construction begin | 1880 |
| Opened | 1882 |
| Rebuilt | 1992 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | heritage railway |
The Imberhorne Viaduct is a special railway bridge in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. It's so important that it's a "Grade II listed building," which means it's protected because of its history and design. This huge bridge was closed in 1958, but it was brought back to life in 2013 by the Bluebell Railway. Now, trains can cross it again to reach East Grinstead station!
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Building the Imberhorne Viaduct
This amazing bridge was built to cross the land of Imberhorne Farm. It was designed by Frederick Banister, who was a chief engineer for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. The viaduct was part of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway.
Construction began in 1880. The viaduct is about 700 feet (213 meters) long. It crosses the valley at a maximum height of 90 feet (27 meters). It has ten brick arches, each about 60 feet (18 meters) wide. These arches reach a height of 70 feet (21 meters). The sides of the bridge have five panels above each arch.
The viaduct opened in 1882. It was also known as the Hill Place Viaduct. It carried trains south from East Grinstead towards Kingscote and then on to Lewes.
Why was the Viaduct Closed?
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The railway line south of East Grinstead closed in 1958. Even after it closed, the tracks on the viaduct stayed in place. This allowed railway carriages to be stored there.
Later, in the 1970s, the area south of the viaduct became a rubbish dump. It was filled with waste. Some local people wanted the old viaduct to be taken down because it was starting to decay. However, the viaduct was officially protected as a listed building on September 15, 1988. This meant it could not be demolished.
Bringing the Viaduct Back to Life
In 1992, British Rail closed the carriage storage area. They also did some urgent repair work on the viaduct. After this, the viaduct was given to the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. The Society then did more renovation work. This included making the bridge deck waterproof and repairing the brickwork.
The Bluebell Railway Society wanted to reconnect their line to East Grinstead. They reached Kingscote in 1994. They worked with the local council to share the costs of removing the huge amount of rubbish from the cutting near Imberhorne. The Society then relaid tracks across the viaduct. This allowed the rubbish to be moved north by train and reburied in Oxfordshire.
On March 7, 2013, the Bluebell Railway was finally reconnected with East Grinstead. The Imberhorne Viaduct is now used regularly by passenger trains. The first scheduled train crossed the viaduct on March 23, 2013. This was after 55 years of not being used for regular train services!
The Viaduct on TV
The Imberhorne Viaduct has even appeared on television!
- It was used in an episode of the TV show Foyle's War called "The Russian House." At the start of the episode, an escaped prisoner runs from the East Grinstead end of the viaduct. When he is surrounded, he jumps from the bridge.
- The viaduct also appeared in a Mercedes-Benz Smart Forfour car advert. In the advert, a special car-train hybrid is shown driving over the viaduct on the railway line.
