Description and History of Site:-
An imposing viaduct of eleven arches spans the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, built as part of a projected direct Leeds to York railway promoted by the industrialist George Hudson through the York & North Midland Railway.
Magnesian limestone facing with brick construction under arches. Two wide arches over Wharfe smaller ones over land. The construction of the line was authorised in 1846 and was to run from Copmanthorpe to Cross Gates, joining the Church Fenton to Harrogate railway line between Tadcaster and Stutton.

The collapse of railway investment in 1849 lead to the line being abandoned after the viaduct had been constructed. The need for the line evaporated with the opening of the Micklethorpe to Church Fenton line in 1869. Between 1883 and 1959 the viaduct carried a siding that serviced a mill on the East side of the River Wharfe. The last time the viaduct was used to fetch and carry goods was in 1955.

Further Reading and References:-
YAHS - Hatcher Card Index. Research funded by the Yorkshire Arts Association 1972.
Hatcher, J. The industrial architecture of Yorkshire. Phillimore, 1985, p 58.

Help us improve this entry

The compilers welcome corrections or additional information on all sites.
Any information provided will be verified before appearing on the web site.

Email comments

Key Words :- railway river viaduct

Address :- Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 8JA
Grid Ref :- SE 48442 43838
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.888471 , Long -1.264456
Local Authority :- Selby District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1167141,
Site Condition :- Site disused - but otherwise substantially intact
Site Dates :- 1849 -
Record Date :- 5 June 2015

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © YAHS Archive