Derbyshire Landscapes | Bennerley Viaduct

The impressive Bennereley Viaduct is located in the coalfields on the eastern borders of Derbyshire. It sits in a very different landscape to the Wind turbines at Carsington Pastures. Much like them it exists because of the industrial imperatives of the era they were created and has become an integral to the Derbyshire landscape

These two films were shot using a high resolution 4k drone and are best viewed in full screen.

Bennerley Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct spanning the Erewash Valley between Awsworth (Nottinghamshire) and Ilkeston (Derbyshire) in central England.

4K drone footage of Bennerely Viaduct
Bennerely Viaduct part II

This wrought iron lattice work viaduct is 1452 feet long with the rails 60 feet 10 inches above the Erewash River. Most railway viaducts at the time were brick-built but the foundations of the Bennerley Viaduct were subject to a great deal of coal mining subsidence therefore, the lighter wrought iron design was chosen.

The viaduct was built between May 1876 and November 1877 and formed part of the Great Northern Railway Derbyshire Extension which was built in part to exploit the coalfields in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Bennerley viaduct's wrought iron construction saved it from demolition. The demolition contractors who tendered for the contract to demolish the viaduct put forward amounts that were considered too high. The reason given for the high cost was that wrought iron structures could not be cut up with an oxy-acetylene torch and would have to be taken apart rivet by rivet.

The viaduct survived to become a grade II* listed structure. It is on the Buildings at Risk Register.

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We have offices in Derby and Chesterfield and provide Commercial Photography throughout the Midlands and South Yorkshire.


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