Railway Viaduct Over River Aire And The Leeds And Liverpool Canal

The railway viaduct over the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal was built around 1846 and altered in the 20th century. It was designed by engineer Thomas Grainger for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company and the Leeds, Dewsbury and Huddersfield Railway. The structure is made of gritstone ashlar with rock-faced rustication and has an overall length of approximately 300 meters. It features a segmental arch over the River Aire, two narrow arches, a canal arch, a towpath arch, and about ten arches supporting the northern stretch of track, which curves away from approximately sixteen arches of the southern track towards the western end. The viaduct includes chamfered rustication on the voussoirs and keystones, buttresses with recessed panels, a deep, heavily moulded modillion cornice, and a parapet with vase balusters between bollards that have heavily moulded caps over the bridges, with similar bollards at the western ends. This viaduct is part of the pre-amalgamation railway complex near the Roundhouse, which holds significant local and national importance. It is the only example of Grainger's notable civil engineering design south of the Scottish border and originally carried the first-generation railway lines to the Wellington Street terminal. All but the central, original four arches have been added since its construction.