Rare opportunity to walk North Devon heritage railway’s historic viaduct

The iconic Chelfham Viaduct on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway will be open to pedestrians for only the second time in its 130 year history this May.

Visitors are being given the incredibly rare opportunity to enjoy spectacular views from the bridge deck and enjoy a walk along the 400-foot track bed of the historic structure on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18.

Above: Chelfham Viaduct opened in 1896 and has not been open to public pedestrians since. Credit: Lynton Barnstaple Railway 

The Historical Railways Estate (HRE), which is responsible for the maintaining the structure, is hosting the two day event alongside the L&B Railway plus the new Chelfham Valley Heritage Hub (at The Growforward Wellbeing Project) to host a full weekend of events to celebrate ‘Railway 200’.

Railway 200 is a year-long campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspire a new generation to choose a career in rail.

Chelfham Viaduct opened in 1896 along with the rest of the railway and it is the largest narrow-gauge viaduct in England- it stands at 70 feet tall and is 400 feet long.

Sadly the line closed in 1935, but the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway is working towards eventually reopening the line between the two towns. The viaduct is managed by National Highways’ Historical Railways Estate team manage and maintain the viaduct on behalf of the Government.

An opening ceremony will be carried out on the viaduct at 12noon on Saturday, May 17 and the viaduct will close at 5pm. On the Sunday it will be open 10am to 4pm.

There will be exhibits about The Viaduct, the railway, the Mill and local conservation efforts and the future of The Growforward Project, a not-for-profit joint endeavour on the Chelfham Mill site beneath the viaduct, which is becoming a hospitality, heritage and wellbeing destination.  

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway has a long-term goal of restoring the railway all the way to Barnstaple. It always has the restored Woody Bay Station, with locomotives and some mile-plus length of track to journey on.

It will be supporting the event with an educational talk about the history of the railway line, with volunteers on hand to answer questions.  

Helene Rossiter, head of HRE, said: “We’re delighted to be opening this much-loved structure for local people and rail enthusiasts to enjoy and learn about its history and future.

“We have a large stake in the railway’s history, maintaining over 3,100 former railway structures including bridges, tunnels, and viaducts across the country. Chelfham, like all our structures, is inspected regularly and in recent years we carried out brickwork repairs and vegetation clearance to ensure it stays in good condition and can be enjoyed for many generations to come.”

Up to 60 car parking spaces are available at the Growforward car park, a two-minute walk from the viaduct and car sharing is advised. The viaduct postcode is EX31 4RP.

The event is free and you can book tickets at https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/historical-railways-estate/latest-updates/chelfham-viaduct-and-railway-railway-200-open-day