Corby Bridge

Corby Bridge, also known locally as Wetheral Viaduct, was begun in 1830 and completed in 1834 by Francis Giles, with construction by William S. Denton for the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway Company. The bridge is made entirely of red sandstone, using facing stones from Newbiggin Quarry near Carlisle and rubble infill from Wetheral and Corby Beck Quarries. In 1851, a cast iron footbridge with a wooden plank walkway was added at the parapet level on the north face, engineered by P. Tate and contracted by C.D. Richardson.

The structure features two piers in the river bed and two on either bank, supporting five semicircular arches that span 27 meters each. These arches are constructed from large blocks of dressed stone with channelled joints and voussoirs. The parapet stands 1.5 meters high, contributing to a total height of 33 meters from the summer level of the river. The bridge is wide enough to accommodate double tracks and has a total length of 280 meters.

As a significant early railway viaduct, it serves as an important landscape feature in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Notable elements include a footbridge with a cast inscribed plate at the east end, foundation stones built into either side of the parapet at the west end, and a centrally placed stone inscribed with the names of the engineer and builder. There are also N.E.R. gas lamp brackets at both the west end and the center of the footbridge, although the lamps are missing, along with railings on the parapet of the south side.