Castlefield Viaduct
Tour along railway viaduct proposed as park
Where?
Get there
- Public Transport
Bus/Train, 4 mins walk - Private Transport
City centre parking
- All days, 9–2
- Contributions welcomed
- (times/price are a guide only)
Public transport: Deansgate/free buses, 4 mins. ‘Deansgate‐Castlefield’ tram stop, 3 mins. Private transport: at‐your‐own‐risk in Collier Street, More reassuring at Bridgewater and Stone Streets. Tour needs booking in advance, sometimes months. Duration: 1 hour
Review
Book through the National Trust website. No need to register. Note: almost always fully booked. Warning: a tower of stairs or lift from Duke Street. Flat walk from the tram stop but, if you have mobility issues, check access. Castlefield Viaduct was built to bridge a railway across Castlefield Basin. Designed by the same people as Blackpool Tower, disused and Grade II listed. The National Trust propose to turn the viaduct into a park, 1/3 of a mile, sometimes 80 feet above ground. Currently open for tours, with a partial garden. The tour is well‐informed, talky, and only covers half the viaduct. The engineering is show‐stopping, the garden a sketch, the views unique. The proposal is not conservation, but from the impulse that created the New York ‘High Line’ and similar spaces. Currently needs generosity and imagination but, as much as the latest microprocessing gadget, is the future.