Railway Viaduct

The Railway Viaduct, built between 1839 and 1840 by C.B. Vignoles for the Midland Railway Company, is a Grade II listed structure. It is made of red brick with a facing of blue engineering brick, known as Staffordshire blues, and features sandstone dressings. The viaduct consists of eleven elliptical arches supported by tapering piers and stone imposts, with stone coping along the parapet. It remains completely unaltered and is in very good condition.

This viaduct was part of the Midland Counties Railway, which connected Derby and Nottingham to Leicester and Rugby. It opened in June 1840, providing access to Euston via the London and Birmingham Railway. At that time, it was a key part of the main route from London to Yorkshire until the Great Northern Railway opened in 1850. The Midland Counties Railway became a founding part of the Midland Railway in 1844. C.B. Vignoles, a notable early railway engineer, worked on this and other significant railways, including the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

The viaduct is one of only two large bridges on this line, the other being Trent Bridge, which was rebuilt in the 1890s. Its significance declined after 1850, and the line between Rugby and Wigston Junction closed in 1962. The Railway Viaduct is an excellent example of early viaduct design from the Stephenson school and is recognized for its historical importance, design quality, and unaltered state, as well as its association with a prominent engineer and railway company.