Victoria Railway Bridge/Viaduct

The Victoria Bridge, carried the North Eastern Railway (HER 2625) over the Wear. It was completed on Queen Victoria's Coronation day on 28 June 1838 by the engineer T.E.Harrison/James Walker of Walker and Burges. Rusticated sandstone. At the time it had the largest span in Europe. Built as part of the Durham Junction Railway, the viaduct was based on the Roman Alcantara Bridge in Spain. The largest of its 4 arches spans 160 feet and is 120 ft above the river. The total length of the structure is 820 ft.It carried the main London-Newcastle line until 1868. Remains in use to carry freight traffic and weekend passenger diversions. An exceptional structure of 1838, having the largest arches in Europe at the time of building.