Tank you very much Middy for this video. I throughly enjoy all of your videos of the old GCR. This part I know particularly well having been to school in Rugby until 1981. My Dad and I walked across Willoughby Viaduct several times between 1978 and 1980. It was a magnificent structure. I can confirm that the viaduct was demolished in 1980. The reason I know this is that Dad and I walked across it during the school holidays in April 1980. When we came back again in the summer holidays it had gone!! We had no idea that April would be our last walk over the viaduct. So it must have been demolished sometime between April and August 1980 but I have never been able to find the exact date. In those days you could easily walk to the old station site and see where the old sidings had been but obviously from your video heavily overgrown now. Thanks again for this!
Thanks for watching. Thank you for clearing up some dates as I couldn't find anything on it at all. As with all the GCR things seemed to be demolished as they felt like it. I can see no reason for this demolition More videos coming up on the GCR in the very near future 👍
Memories !! A school pal Trevor Roach introduced me to fishing this little stream back in the 1950's which was surprisingly good. Fishing with an old friend terry Cole one day I spent more time watching the passing trans than fishing while he caught around 10 pounds of lovely roach. Trevs name was a bit ironic !!! very sad to see the state of the place now.
I come from Northampton originally but now live in Glasgow, I love these videos as I was always fascinated with the old GCR. My dad took me to many places as a kid, such as Catesby tunnel, Woodford Halse, Helmdon Viaduct, Brackley etc… to see parts of the old line! Am thrilled to have found this channel! Would love to see Catesby viaduct but it’s really hard to get to
The bridge was double span girder and the station and Leam viaduct to the south. Basically identical in layout and design to Woodford Halse. The entrance was in the alcove. The viaduct was demolished after some dog walkers saw a brick beneath one of the arches and claimed it was unsafe and potential falling masonry hazard. However it took three attempts to blow it up before it finally yielded, a fact picked up on at the time by an article in the Daventry Weekly Express with the headline "Unsafe, that solid?."
Thank you for watching and all the information. Seems crazy now that such a beautiful old structure was demolished especially for such a poor reason. Always seems they couldn't wait to demolish parts of the GCR
Don't forget the other lost viaduct at Staverton. Gone now as well but no one ever remembers it, in fact few seem to know of it now. If you search the undergrowth you may still find a few pallets of blue brindles that got left behind from when they eventually managed to blow it up in 1977. It simply refused to fall down!!.
Know branch line from Weedon, Dodford, Daventry, Braunston, Wolfhamcote (GCR cross), Flecknoe Station, Tomlow, Stockton, Southam/Long Itchington to nearly Leamington (Radford Semele/Offchurch) a Beeching branch line cut. The GCR Mainline from, Woodford Halse, Charwelton Tunnel Portal, been through Catesby Tunnel a few times and over Catesby Viaduct, Staverton Viaduct (was blown-up for bricks), over A425.... behind Flecknoe it's flooded for fishing... crosses at Wolfhampcote. On towards 13 arches, over R.Leam, (Blown-up for bricks) Willoughby & Braunston Station, over A45 then it goes behind Onley Prison & Barby on the hill adjacent to Grand Union towards M45 Hilmorton/Rugby. Still in the area, know the farmers, had dirtbike/quads, used to shoot on the railway in parts including our own pheasant shoots.
Great video , have you noticed though how much was demolished very quickly ? to make re-opening almost impossible perhaps .This line should never have closed ,even if it was freight only it would take a lot of pressure from the east and west coast routes .
Thanks for watching. I always comment at how quickly it was demolished they couldnt wait to rip this up and take away any hope of it being reopened. Very sad and a terrible decision
Nice little explore. Same as the search on staverton viaduct I did. Absolutely nothing to see or report! Yet Catesby viaduct still stands. Doesn’t make sense.
The River Leam wher Leamington get its name from. I remember going to trim hedges on a farm in the shadow of the viaduct in 1983 and I am sure it was their then I think it was demolished 84-85 because on a subsequent visit I mentioned to the Farmer about it having disapeared.
Are you carrying on down south to where it crosses the Daventry line? There’s some great little bridges and further down by Staverton is an amazing viaduct intact! It’s next on my walk list, that and the route into Daventry
Thanks for watching. Yes I will be going further south eventually but I have some other projects around Leicester to complete first, including of course the GCR
2nd comment. Still yet to see a photo of this viaduct with a passing train. Even Colin Walker didn't photograph it and as he once said to me he photographed damn near very other structure on the GC south of Rugby !!!
Thank you for watching and sharing your lovely memories. Everywhere I go people have memories associated with the railways I am glad that this bought the good times back for you👍 loads more coming up in rugby and from the GCR
Great video. Just thinking, it was obvious more difficult for them to get all the building materials across a few fields to the site of the viaduct, in 1898. But then to do it all again in reverse and leave next to nothing. All that work, for a high speed line that only lasted 67 years. If only we could rewrite history.
I had a look around where the viaduct used to be a couple of years ago but I approached it from the opposite direction to you as l first wanted to see where the G.C crossed the old Weedon too Leamington line, wasn’t a lot to see there either unfortunately.
Another great video on the GCR, I don't understand why they removed this viaduct but have kept, Catesby, Helmdon and Whetstone Viaducts, there's just no reasoning to demolish this one The viaduct was built to a similar scale to Whetstone Viaduct
It doesn't seem to make any sense tbh. I don't know if there was issues with subsidence as they had in construction the details on it are a bit sparse! Bit of a trek to get there as well👍😃
Totally wrong station south of a45 Road, twin girder bridges with station access between in recess of bridges up wooden stairs to single platform, entrance bricked up on station. I trainspotted there in the fifties.
Thanks for watching. Yes I corrected thos on a later post and tbh when I looked at it again it is quite obvious! When I film new places I try to visualise it as I go along and occasionally I get it wrong! Thanks for pointing it out. More videos from the GCR coming soon 👍
Tank you very much Middy for this video. I throughly enjoy all of your videos of the old GCR. This part I know particularly well having been to school in Rugby until 1981. My Dad and I walked across Willoughby Viaduct several times between 1978 and 1980. It was a magnificent structure. I can confirm that the viaduct was demolished in 1980. The reason I know this is that Dad and I walked across it during the school holidays in April 1980. When we came back again in the summer holidays it had gone!! We had no idea that April would be our last walk over the viaduct. So it must have been demolished sometime between April and August 1980 but I have never been able to find the exact date. In those days you could easily walk to the old station site and see where the old sidings had been but obviously from your video heavily overgrown now.
Thanks again for this!
Thanks for watching. Thank you for clearing up some dates as I couldn't find anything on it at all. As with all the GCR things seemed to be demolished as they felt like it. I can see no reason for this demolition
More videos coming up on the GCR in the very near future 👍
I was born in Brackley and live in Daventry so your last two videos have been very relevant,never knew this one existed,great work 👍
Thank you and thanks for watching. Lovely area of the world
Memories !! A school pal Trevor Roach introduced me to fishing this little stream back in the 1950's which was surprisingly good. Fishing with an old friend terry Cole one day I spent more time watching the passing trans than fishing while he caught around 10 pounds of lovely roach. Trevs name was a bit ironic !!! very sad to see the state of the place now.
I come from Northampton originally but now live in Glasgow, I love these videos as I was always fascinated with the old GCR. My dad took me to many places as a kid, such as Catesby tunnel, Woodford Halse, Helmdon Viaduct, Brackley etc… to see parts of the old line! Am thrilled to have found this channel! Would love to see Catesby viaduct but it’s really hard to get to
Thanks for watching and I am glad you are enjoying the channel. There is plenty more coming up from the GCR including catesby and surrounding area.
The bridge was double span girder and the station and Leam viaduct to the south. Basically identical in layout and design to Woodford Halse. The entrance was in the alcove. The viaduct was demolished after some dog walkers saw a brick beneath one of the arches and claimed it was unsafe and potential falling masonry hazard. However it took three attempts to blow it up before it finally yielded, a fact picked up on at the time by an article in the Daventry Weekly Express with the headline "Unsafe, that solid?."
Thank you for watching and all the information. Seems crazy now that such a beautiful old structure was demolished especially for such a poor reason. Always seems they couldn't wait to demolish parts of the GCR
Don't forget the other lost viaduct at Staverton. Gone now as well but no one ever remembers it, in fact few seem to know of it now. If you search the undergrowth you may still find a few pallets of blue brindles that got left behind from when they eventually managed to blow it up in 1977. It simply refused to fall down!!.
Thanks for that I will have a look into it...
Know branch line from Weedon, Dodford, Daventry, Braunston, Wolfhamcote (GCR cross), Flecknoe Station, Tomlow, Stockton, Southam/Long Itchington to nearly Leamington (Radford Semele/Offchurch) a Beeching branch line cut. The GCR Mainline from, Woodford Halse, Charwelton Tunnel Portal, been through Catesby Tunnel a few times and over Catesby Viaduct, Staverton Viaduct (was blown-up for bricks), over A425.... behind Flecknoe it's flooded for fishing... crosses at Wolfhampcote. On towards 13 arches, over R.Leam, (Blown-up for bricks) Willoughby & Braunston Station, over A45 then it goes behind Onley Prison & Barby on the hill adjacent to Grand Union towards M45 Hilmorton/Rugby. Still in the area, know the farmers, had dirtbike/quads, used to shoot on the railway in parts including our own pheasant shoots.
Thanks for watching and your cvomments
Great video , have you noticed though how much was demolished very quickly ? to make re-opening almost impossible perhaps .This line should never have closed ,even if it was freight only it would take a lot of pressure from the east and west coast routes .
Thanks for watching. I always comment at how quickly it was demolished they couldnt wait to rip this up and take away any hope of it being reopened. Very sad and a terrible decision
Absolutely love this about the gcr I love exploring old railways myself
Thank you and thanks for watching. There is something magical about the GCR! More coming on the GCR over the following weeks 👍
Nice little explore. Same as the search on staverton viaduct I did. Absolutely nothing to see or report! Yet Catesby viaduct still stands. Doesn’t make sense.
Thanks for watching. Yeah I can't find a reason for the demolition and like you say others are still stood!
The River Leam wher Leamington get its name from. I remember going to trim hedges on a farm in the shadow of the viaduct in 1983 and I am sure it was their then I think it was demolished 84-85 because on a subsequent visit I mentioned to the Farmer about it having disapeared.
Thanks for watching. Yes it was demolished early 80s very sad indedled and like a lot of the gcr they did a proper job on it!
Middy,the station was on the south side;you were standing right by the characteristic GCR recess which was the station access.
Thank you and thanks for watching. Indeed I spotted it when i was rewatching the video! its obvious when you look at it!! thanks for the info
Are you carrying on down south to where it crosses the Daventry line? There’s some great little bridges and further down by Staverton is an amazing viaduct intact! It’s next on my walk list, that and the route into Daventry
Thanks for watching. Yes I will be going further south eventually but I have some other projects around Leicester to complete first, including of course the GCR
2nd comment. Still yet to see a photo of this viaduct with a passing train. Even Colin Walker didn't photograph it and as he once said to me he photographed damn near very other structure on the GC south of Rugby !!!
Thank you for watching and sharing your lovely memories. Everywhere I go people have memories associated with the railways I am glad that this bought the good times back for you👍 loads more coming up in rugby and from the GCR
Another great GCR explore! Shame a lot of bridges were pulled down
Thank you and thanks for watching. A real shame I still can't believe what a total job they did of this one hardly anything left
Great video. Just thinking, it was obvious more difficult for them to get all the building materials across a few fields to the site of the viaduct, in 1898. But then to do it all again in reverse and leave next to nothing. All that work, for a high speed line that only lasted 67 years. If only we could rewrite history.
Thanks for watching. That's the bit that amazed me. Normally I would find something more substantial but they did a real job on this one!
I had a look around where the viaduct used to be a couple of years ago but I approached it from the opposite direction to you as l first wanted to see where the G.C crossed the old Weedon too Leamington line, wasn’t a lot to see there either unfortunately.
quite incredible how they destroyed this section of the railway.
@@MiddyExplores Used for Road construction unfortunately l would imagine.
@@streetscrambler8075 what a sad end to this lovely structure
@@MiddyExplores Yes and Staverton viaduct went the same way as well, just Catesby and Helmdon left south of Rugby.
Another great video on the GCR, I don't understand why they removed this viaduct but have kept, Catesby, Helmdon and Whetstone Viaducts, there's just no reasoning to demolish this one
The viaduct was built to a similar scale to Whetstone Viaduct
It doesn't seem to make any sense tbh. I don't know if there was issues with subsidence as they had in construction the details on it are a bit sparse! Bit of a trek to get there as well👍😃
Willoughby Station was on the south side of the A45 road!!!
Thank you and thanks for watching 👍
Totally wrong station south of a45 Road, twin girder bridges with station access between in recess of bridges up wooden stairs to single platform, entrance bricked up on station. I trainspotted there in the fifties.
Thanks for watching. Yes I corrected thos on a later post and tbh when I looked at it again it is quite obvious! When I film new places I try to visualise it as I go along and occasionally I get it wrong! Thanks for pointing it out. More videos from the GCR coming soon 👍
Nearby Staverton viaduct also removed
Thanks for watching. Yes it's on my list if places to visit👍
At least Whetstone viaduct is still there!!!!!!!
True if not great to get to see! Still can't believe what they did to this one!