Catesby Viaduct - The Decaying Blue Brick Giant

Welcome to Part 5 of our 'Ghosts of the GCR mainline' series.
We're still making our way north on the abandoned Great Central Railway in Northamptonshire. We leave behind the north portal of Catesby Tunnel and now take a look at the stunning Catesby Viaduct.
12 arches long, the blue staffordshire brick viaduct towers above the River Leam below.
On the way to the viaduct we pass under the Attenborough bridge. Named after the local landowner who's land the railway was built - the lowest bridge on the GCR. There is still standing the plate layers hut that workers from the tunnel would have used. After a short distance we come to a missing bridge with both abutments still standing. By the side of these is a small water tower structure that is listed on old maps as a force pump. This along with the small hut were related to the system to pump water away from the tunnel and track bed nearby.
As the viaduct approaches, it is clear to see the errosion of the track bed and the embankment which is slipping into the surrouding fields. Leaving the inner structure of the viaduct exposed to the elements. Small sapplings have matured into larger trees and are now growin out of the viaduct sides leading to large chunks of brickwork falling into the land below. It is clear to an untrained non-engineers eye that this viaduct is quickly decaying. Left to rot since it's closure in 1966.
**About this series**
We are visiting various locations on the GCR between Culworth Junction in Northamptonshire and Rugby in Warwickshire. Visiting former station sites, bridges, junctions, old infrastructure, viaducts, tunnels and some other interesting stuff.
Great Central Mainline was built as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire railway. Opening in 1899, it was designed to be as straight as possible with as little gradient as possible. Speed was the aim and express trains travelled between London Marylebone, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester. It was the last UK mainline to be built before HS1 over a century later.
It thrived initially, however with a lack of upkeep, neglect and dwindling usage, it was mothballed during the great railway rationalisation of Dr Beeching in the 1960s - known as the Beeching Axe. Lost railway artefacts and relics are left scattered along the route.
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[@Olleetheowl]

Always informative and interesting.. love the G.C.R.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 cheers

[@chrischapman7514]

Great video as always such a shame its decaying liked the hut and the tower cant believe how much stuff survives great history and of course them blue bricks and all that skill never tire of watching these videos see you for the next one Paul.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Chris. Unbelievable isn't it. And to think this is replicated pretty much the entirety of the line.

[@alltransman5033]

Enjoying this great Central series, I often pass under one of these beautiful viaducts where it crosses the a413 between denham and Gerrard cross, and over the m25, this has to be kept in good order as trains regularly cross to and from marylebone

[@WobblyRunner]

Glad you're enjoying it 👍. I know the bridge you are referring to. I had to drive to Heathrow recently and spotted it straight away recognised it as something GCR.

[@iancaveney7464]

Jim walks like a man who knows the chippy is about to close in five minutes and he's six minutes away. Lovely stuff again, Paul. 😉😉👍

[@seamusmcevoy2011]

Intense is the word you're looking for when it comes to Jim and his food, athletes need to keep refuelled!!!!!

[@WobblyRunner]

😄

[@WobblyRunner]

If Jim's not in front of you in a hurry, then you know something is wrong 😄

[@johntyjp]

Meant to be the Victorian HS2 to the Midlands?!🧐

[@martinmarsola6477]

Another great video this day. The walking tour is the icing on the cake. Thank you for your labours on the videos. Cheers Paul! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much Martin 🙏👍

[@user-ho8hk7ns9j]

Visit the Harringworth, viaduct in Northampton, its well worth it.

[@mickd6942]

I bought a book years ago called the great central mainline then and now with photos of the line before and after closure so this series is great and fascinating to watch .

[@WobblyRunner]

Nice one Mick. There so many great layers of history to the GCML

[@paulboyle6857]

I take my car to the car wash just below the stationmasters house(that was!) There was another Braunston station further along by the marina which was on the Weedon to Leamington line.

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

Very sad to see Catesby viaduct in a bit of a sorry condition, and the 3 arch bridge before it with 2 arches infilled. These structures need some care and attention...as this was the last mainline in over a century, that it has been treated with such contempt, when so much amazing work went in to it never fails to make me angry. Don't even get me started on the viaducts that were blown up. Still a majestic structure though...long may she stand!

[@WobblyRunner]

Well said 👍 I guess to some land owners these days, structures might just be seen as a liability. Like some of the signal posts that have been taken down recently.

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

@@WobblyRunner Oh I didn't know things were being removed :(

[@andrewmarriott4033]

Let’s hope structures like continue to survive must be fantastic coming across that 👍

[@WobblyRunner]

🙏 fingers crossed. I'm not sure who owns the viaduct though.

[@willswheels283]

Shame to see a great structure like that deteriorating, it’s not in good shape but then it’s not being maintained so it’s to be expected unfortunately. One of the first viaducts to be demolished was at Brackley, are you hoping to head that way? Another great vid mate, keep up the good work, looking forwards to the next episode.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 cheers Possibly in the future. Brackley is one of the bits of the Gcr I'd like to have a look at.

[@seamusmcevoy2011]

That was a very good question, why did this one survive when others such as Willoughby, Staverton and the enormous Brackley Viaduct get blown up? To be honest I'm not sure, there's one to the south at Helmdon that still stands, might be a local authority decision, but this one needs some cosmetic work done, and soon I would say, otherwise it may be in trouble.

[@WobblyRunner]

I wonder who's decision it was and who was responsible. Maybe the lack of road access?

[@davidwhite3041]

Brackley viaduct was demolished to accommodate an industrial estate, when the line closed the land on which the trains ran was given back to the land owners, Helmdon and Catesby still stand others were probably demolished for the use of the blue bricks as hard core. It is some 58 years since the tracks were uplifted, Catesby viaduct gets the full force of the south westerly wind and rain so I guess some deterioration in the brickwork is inevitable. I well remember regular freight trains headed by O1's, O4's and 9f's pounding there way up the incline from Staverton Road towards Catesby tunnel - happy days.

[@Carolb66]

Hi Paul, does it make me a sad person because I love blue bricks? 😅 fascinating start to the viaduct & no it's fenced off! Stunning brick work if looking a bit tired. Fab explore Paul keep em coming! ❤😊👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Carol. I think they'll have to keep an eye on those trees growing out of the top. I hope it doesn't get to the state where they are having to have it pulled down 🙁

[@Carolb66]

@@WobblyRunner oh i hope not they must try & preserve theses viaducts Paul, it's history but it's money at the end of the day. 🥰❤

[@philipmadhatter4006]

Shame they can’t put the rails back Surly it would be cheaper than hs2 ?

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 I didn't realise there had also been another attempt to resurrect it for freight back in the early 2000s. It does seem a waste.

[@michaelbright9162]

With so much wind noise might it have been better to just film and add a voiceover while editing?

[@peebee143]

I believe that the MS&L were known for side tipping their spoil wagons to form viaducts. A much slower process for building embankments but a method for building much stronger embankments.

[@WobblyRunner]

I've heard that too