Castlefield Viaduct

As the terminus of the world’s first passenger train line, Manchester was at the forefront of nineteenth century rail development, and that included the construction of a considerable amount of rail infrastructure around the city.  The neighborhood named Castlefield on the southwest side of the city center not only features the world’s oldest remaining passenger railway station but also several historic viaducts and bridges.

The 330 m long viaduct formally named the Castlefield Viaduct, which originally connected the former Manchester Central Station (now a conference center named Manchester Central) to the rail network, is distinctly different from most of the other brick viaducts around Manchester.  Heenan and Froude (the same company that built the Blackpool Tower) constructed the Castlefield Viaduct in 1892 using primarily cast iron and wrought iron for a significant section of the viaduct, although these connect to more traditional brick sections.  The sections constructed with iron stand out; its silvery cylindrical iron pillars straddle the canals while holding up the viaduct’s metal parapet with its lattice-like walls.

The viaduct would be in used until 1969, when the rail line closed.  After that point, the viaduct was essentially closed off for a few decades, although it was still maintained.  As the neighborhood was gentrified over the following decades, the viaduct was eventually seen as a local landmark, and it would even feature in shows such as Coronation Street and Peaky Blinders.  Recognizing the architectural importance of the viaduct, English Heritage granted it Grade II status in 1988, ensuring that the structure could not be demolished.

However, the biggest change in the viaduct’s history was in the 2020s, when the National Trust set up an elevated garden on the viaduct that was inspired at least in part by the High Line in New York City.  This garden was opened to the public in 2022.  Visitors can now walk among planters filled with flowers, trees, and other cultivated plants enclosed within the nineteenth century iron lattice structure while also enjoying the elevated views of the Castlefield neighborhood (including the reconstructed Roman fort) as well as the cityscape beyond.