The13 span Victorian railway viaduct in the grounds of Porthkerry Country Park Barry vale of Glamorgan South Wales
The most spectacular structure of the Barry Railway was the viaduct in Porthkerry Park. Made of stone and with 13 arched spans of 50' and three of 45', it stands 110' high and dominates the little valley that leads to the beach. There were problems due to subsidence in 1896 but this was not disclosed to the Board of Trade inspector who approved the structure. The line opened on 1st December 1897, but disaster struck on 10th January the following year when one of the piers slipped and that part of the line was closed at once. A loop line was made 2½ miles to the north, around Porthkerry Rectory, and this was used while the line was repaired. The Viaduct dominates the valleyThe line reopened for goods trains on 8th January 1900, and for passenger trains on 9th April. The problem was due to a combination of insufficient foundations, unsuitable cement and poor workmanship. The line is still in use today, carrying coal to Aberthaw power station, and all types of diverted traffic when the main Cardiff to Bridgend line is closed for maintenance.
Size: 3977px × 2520px
Location: Porthkerry Country Park, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South, Wales, UK, Europe
Photo credit: © Paul Sampson / Travel / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: arched, architecture, barry, coal, country, cwmcidi, engineering, glamorgan, industrial, industry, meadowland, park, porthkerry, rail, railway, sheltered, south, spans, stone, transport, vale, valley, viaduct, victorian, wales, woods
