Campaigners have launched a fundraising offensive to save an iconic Cumbrian landmark in desperate need of repair.
Smardale Gill viaduct, in the Upper Eden Valley, was designed by Cumbrian engineer Sir Thomas Bouch for the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway in 1861 to carry coke to the steel works in Barrow.
Constructed of local sandstone it towers 90 feet above the valley and its 30ft arches span 553ft across the valley.
Now its stonework is severely damaged by water and needs urgent repair.
In response, Northern Viaduct Trust, which operates as Eden Viaducts, has set up a Just Giving fundraising campaign.
Neil Cleeveley, chair of Northern Viaduct Trust, said: “We desperately need to make sure that water can no longer penetrate from the surface of the viaduct into its stonework. Until we have the funds to do this the viaduct remains at risk.
“Some of the piers are in a poor state and we cannot allow things to get much worse. We are a small charity, run by volunteers and with no income. I hope that people will rally round and help us save this iconic piece of our Victorian heritage.”
It’s not the first time the Trust have come to Smardale Gill viaduct’s rescue.
A fundraising campaign in the 1990s enabled vital repair work to take place.
Now structural engineers say the viaduct deck is in urgent need of waterproofing and new drainage to prevent further deterioration. Only then can the major repairs to several of the stone piers of the viaduct be conducted.
The estimated costs is around £1million. Initially, Eden Viaducts needs to raise in the region of £90,000 to make the viaduct watertight.
Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/campaign/savesmardalegillviaduct
