At 23:40 the bricked up arch you're pointing to is known as a "blind arch". It's an arch that doesn't go all the way through a wall. The arch next to it that you walked through is skewed in order to cross the road at the correct angle. The adjacent pier is therefore trapezoidal in plan view and the blind arch allows that construction while saving materials.
The term "Wigan dead in the centre" was quite apt but for completely different reasons.....😊 I used to go on top of these viaducts as a kid back in the early eighties.
I was doing the exact same thing about the same time as you ,my dog nearly fell down that hole at the start of the domino's and I felt like I was bing watched also ,great video
hiya ant , thanks for coming to wigan lancashire , at the beggining of your video as you walk past the sleepers , if you looked left you can just make out the trackbed of the third line which was a branch from haigh foundry to haigh jubction . indeed there is two superb signal box remains nearby with lots of superb bits and pieces still around , few know that a bomb fell there across the river i world war two , accssnyone who dares to go on top of the twenty bridges gains access from the other end , the small arch bridge you passed over on leyland mill lane was where haigh foundry built the first steam locomotive in lancashire around 1847 , my family originates from there , and late grandad was a signal man , indeed further up the line the platforms of red rock station still exist too , you could easily spend all day around there if you know to look , if ever you want to return let me know , all the best from nick in wigan , lancashire and proud of it lol
hiya ant , yes you have mate , we stashed a couple of lnwr track chairs last time we was there , and brought loads of stuff home , if you want an an expert guide please give me a shout i know the place backwards , promise , wigan is a world of lost railways , with plenty in my back garden , cheers mate , nick @@TrekkingExploration
Great video Ant, those viaducts are amazing. Always makes me sad to see such engineering lost and forgotten. All the work and effort that went into creating them.
Amazing finds again. And for a double track railway too. The archive photo's were good as well. Showing us what it was like. Very enjoyable...all the best.
In the photo at 16:05, the survey worker's board shows the OS grid reference - SD 58 09. It is bridge number 2 when heading from Boar's Head towards Adlington.
Wow Ant, your on my doorstep here and I cycle under that arch weekly. Know loads of history there and there’s so much right near it that I began to explore during lockdown and became fascinated with it. As for your reference to it being creepy, I first went down with my daughter who was equally fascinated too and we both felt exactly the same creepiness when we got near the dominoes. We also climbed up to the start of the dominoes and I had to keep tight hold of daughters hand when I also saw that massive hole in the middle of the first support. A little further up the Douglas (walkable) is another amazing discovery of an old mill with sluice in tact from 1700’s too, linked to Arley (Wigan) Golf Club that has two shafts that go down twice the height of Blackpool tower (and this was engineered circa 300 years ago - utterly amazes me how they did this). The old giant circular stones that used to crush the coal are still there today. The weir you referenced was to support a mill (long since gone) but just beyond there is Haigh Foundry steeped in history and I recently discovered an abandoned canal in Haigh Hall that fed coal to he foundry from the 1700’s Not too far from the dominoes on what was that line, is Red Rock train station (still there and converted to a house) Plenty to explore round these parts of your ever back
Hi Ian thankyou for the comment. I feel i need to pay another visit sometime soon especially as you mention quite a few locations worth visiting. I had better have a good look over the maps
@@TrekkingExploration Hi Ant, yes there is plenty more round there and best time to see it will be the coming months too, when the weeds etc have all died off. Happy to share some maps, reference material (website links) and even some video footage of when I was last there in June 21. And if you ever do make it back up, happy to come along and show you where it all located 👍
Ant, these viaducts have an industrial beauty in their own right, but the fact that they are not maintained, crumbling away & fairly inaccessible to the average person, because of the dense woodland, will mean, that as soon as the first span starts to fall, some official will have the whole thing demolished. I think it's great that you found this & have documented it for posterity as it stands now. I notice that a lot of other peoples vlogs show the subject matter halfway through demolition, with some old photo's of how it used to look edited in. So how about finding these structures in danger of demolition, & documenting them in high definition colour before this happens, that way preserving them for posterity, so they can be viewed in future, not in grainy black & white photo's of what they once were, but how they stand now, abandoned but complete. Love your work Ant, you really have a great channel, mate. Regards Urban Geeze.
What a amazing video and drone shots of the viaducts what a pity these viaducts could have used as walking and cycling tracks.Pity to see them in disrepair,thanks for taking the time to make these excellent videos from New Zealand
I remember walking up here 60 years ago and taking photographs, I was 11. Sadly can’t find them now. Brick arch viaducts were ten a penny back then but the Douglas Viaduct with steel spans between the domino piers fascinated me. Both viaducts were built after pre-existing lines. What’s now the West Coast Mainline was on the western side of the valley and the Lancashire Union Railway from Blackburn to Liverpool via Chorley, which actually avoided Wigan, brushed past Wigan to the east, crossing over the WCML just south of what is now Springs Branch Maintenance Depot. Various links and cross loops came later, including these viaducts. You can still trace the LU first line from just south of the Haigh Viaduct to Red Rock. The Haigh Viaduct and a short spur at Bamfurlong commandeered the LU to make the Whelley Loop, a ‘Wigan-avoiding’ eastern bypass for north-south trains. The Whelley Loop also had spurs onto the L&Y towards Hindley and to and from the line from Wigan Central to Glazebrook. As well as multiple mineral railways to the many pits hereabouts and to the immense iron works at Top Lock. These two viaducts made an x shape connecting the almost parallel lines originally built by competing companies which hadn’t previously been joined.
Fascinating vid Ant . Have to say I have not seen anything on these viaducts before , great find . Would have been amazing to see these 15 / 20 years ago when still in good health . Can't help but feel they will be gone before too many years have passed .
Really enjoyed this one buddy, 27 minutes well spent. Could i suggest that the large baulk of timber, was actually one of the inline sleepers I've seen on several bridges?
Great explore. There is some RUclips video of daft lads rock climbing up to the top of one of the tall dominoes and some bridge bungee swinging through an arch. Glad to see you kept your feet on the ground . Thanks for sharing. I went there and got sone drone footage of the dominoes . Stunning engineering by the Victorian’s . Shame Mother Nature is gonna damage them to destruction .
Thanks, Ant. Great video, felt as though we were walking through those arches with you. Fascinating, love that old architecture, what our forefathers could do with brick! Incredible! Loved the photos splashed throughout to give some context, and the overhead drone and the subtle music choice, that took you on the journey. I guessed the train, the T50/LCGB time period at 12:27 was from 1953... and you should another photo later dated 1951, so was happy with my guess. Subscribed, all. Brisbane, Australia.
Nice one Ant,know the place well as it’s on my doorstep. The Whelley loop line was used extensively during the electrification Of the WCML to divert passenger trains around Wigan.
A well worth journey to the North West, Ant. The railway system around Wigan was a very complicated one with so many lines here and there. You picked two great constructions to have a look at with these viaducts. Good droning together with the old photos have made this one of your classic videos. Many thanks.
One of your best films for a while. Great explore. Don't think it'll be long b4 first viaduct is nothing more han a pile of bricks on the floor. Keep up the interesting content and the format, both are winners and no hint of commercialism.
Nice to see you up in my neck of the woods Ant, Nice video as usual very informative. I will perhaps go and have a look over there sometime, probably wait while next summer now. Chris
Hi Ant, another great video, Hever seen these viaducts before. Although they are not being maintained they are still beautiful structures aren't they. Its tragic really I don't think they will be around in a few years. They would be great for walking & cycling on if they were maintained but too far gone now I think. Thanks for sharing Ant. Take care. ❤😊
Fab explore. Great find. Loved the colours and scenery. I can imagine you feeling eerie if you walking quietly alone in the silence. Brave you. Thanks Ant brilliant as always.
Used to know a bunch of lads who would climb the dominoes way back and spend time abseiling and rappelling up and down on a Sunday afternoon. Definitely not my cup of tea, I get vertigo at the top of the stairs these days! Nice to see you in a different coalfield than the usual, Ant. 👍
It's the DoT's responsibility to maintain these bridges and viaducts, but they've consistently failed in their duty, hence the state we see them in today.
There is a Wigan Council/Transport for Greater Manchester proposal to repair that line route from Standish towards Whelley and turn it into a traffic-free cycle/footpath, joining up with the existing path from Whelley to Hindley. I’m hoping that this does actually happen.
A fascinating look at those viaducts, Ant. Thanks. I wonder how much it would cost to get rid of them, probably almost as much as to reinstate the line! Meanwhile it crumbles away!
Hi Ant. Great video on these two old Viaduct Bridge's. I don't know if I have any viaduct bridges or not in the US, but I just love them. I can't believe that they have lasted so long, I believe that it doesn't have any Rebar to hold it together, but trains lasted for years crossing it. Thanks again for the video and information about these two bridges.
One of the greatest viaducts / railway spans I've seen is in America ...Arizona I think .... a total construction in wood , its at a great height spanning a canyon and curved . It really is a sight to behold and may be worth you doing a bit of research .
Really does make a difference getting drone footage, you get such a better idea and great views. The videos wouldnt be as good without the drone footage.
Hi Ant, great video mate. These viaducts are my playground. Unfortunately you’re about 1 year late as the gates on top use to be open and you could walk along the track bed. There were a number of trees growing on top where I camped a last year, there’s a video on my channel, but since the trees have been cut down and the gate locked. You can access the other side from Chorley Rd, there’s a few more things to see. If you’re interested in culverts there a culverts under the west coast mainline at Hic Bibby, again a video on my channel, great little explore but you’ll need wellies, good luck 👍
Great video as always Ant. Sad yet fascinating to see photos of these amazing structures how they used to be and then what remains of them now. The Boars Head Haigh Viaduct reminds me of the Glen Mooar Viaduct in the Isle of Man which we visited many years ago. I believe that was of a similar construction, but all that remains now are two massive tall stone pillars rising out of the woodland - quite eerie 😱
That's so very kind of you. I'm the same person without the camera too swearing is a rare occurrence. Only time I can remember was once when seagulls wouldn't stay quiet 🤫
There's another one just like these near Bolton Abbey, I wonder if you know about it or been to it. Used to be part of the Ilkley-Skipton line that got axed in the 60s.
smashing video what a sorry state they are in all that hard work building them and now left to crumble away till they fall down just madness 😠shame they are still not in use then they would be maintained it's part of our heritage
I'm not a professional, "but" it seems dressed stone has a much longer useful live than brick. Ant, it looks like you had another great day for the explore, from the looks of the old B&W photos there was at one time a lot of cows in that area? Thanks for your time, work and posting..... So much history, so little time.
Squirrels dont hibernate,, But well spotted with the two viaducts... Its such a shame that, all that hard graft, building those, was wasted by beecham... Just imagine the cost and time nowadays....
You need to visit the Fauld crater close to Hanbury the site of one of the biggest ever non nuclear explosions it would make a great addition to this series. It's not a long walk but the site and history is fascinating if a little gruesome
I've been there a few times, it is a fascinating place but I wouldn't fancy trying to get into the crater and find the tunnels underneath - there is a video on here of some people who got in a few years ago
@@angeg1587 it's Mod land you would be in deep do do if you got caught inside the perimeter not to mention they think there could still be unexploded ordnance inside the crater
Hi Ant, hope you thought the trip up was worth while. there's more to see that you missed , like the other side and the cross over of the 2 lines, plus the other end of the sidings you mentioned. there's boars Head station, which is on 2 lines, so a split station. Thanks for pronouncing Haigh, correctly. not haig, like the rest of the world.. If you want to do a part 2 for the other bits, let me, and can meet up..Brill Video.
@@TrekkingExploration let me know when. A couple of years we went on the viaduct, still then they cut all the trees down, but it looks like there are growing again fast..
Hi Geoff, do you know about the old mill that sits behind Wigan golf course on the bank of Douglas that I mentioned in my comment to Ants video? Found it by total accident when went to find the Culvert where the Douglas passes under Worthington Reservoirs.
Likely spiked as high as my excitement when I found it. Has no idea what it was. Went home and went on the internet and found it’s history and then had to go back to try and find the millrace and lone and behold I found it with the sluice gate still in tact. Just wish I could have found a Time Machine to take me back to when it was operational Martin Zero was not too far off where you were when he did his ancient monument in Haigh and also the Aspull pumping house videos (the latter one being quite scary when you shine your torch down the chamber).
Hi Ant at 23.51 you spin around to go back through the arch. But if you look closely there appears to be another blind arch, although smaller than the previous one. In between two full size arches?
There's a single skew arch (the one he walks through) separated from the adjacent regular arch on each side by a pier. The piers between regular arches are rectangular in plan view, like the dominoes, but the ones adjacent to the skew arch have a more complex trapezoidal plan view, with one narrow face and one wide face. The blind arch within the wide face allows a strong construction while economising on material. If you look at the skew arch itself you'll see the courses of brick spiral over your head as you walk through it. At one point Ant makes a comment about "sandstone", referring to the sawtooth edged skewback from which the helical courses of brick spring. Skew arches are a great fascination for me. There's a pretty good article about them on Wikipedia.
I get your Blair Witch ref, those trees are creepy, but also got a distinct opening scene from Space Odyssey feeling, big tall slabs of brick poking out of the trees, still some majestic structures though. Great find Ant, well produced as usual👍👍👍
Be careful Ant - Don't want any brick falling on your head now!!! Interesting to see how the land scape has changed over the year - by comparing with the old B / W photos to your video now!!! There are more trees now than you can see in the old B / W photos!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂
@@TrekkingExploration If nothing is done to arrest it's decline then eventually it will collapse under it's own weight and you hope there's no one near at the time for a few notices here and there won't deter people. The authorities may even demolish it before it's gets to that stage itself. Here's hoping some money is allocated to arrest it's decline.
Wigan council should be contacted and all the trees and foliage needs to be removed... or in a few years alittle jobsworth will pop along and condemn it and another beauty will be resigned to the History books... Super video Ant... cheers and thanks for all your Hard Graft !
I've read that the railway paths people or someone like that are pushing to be able to use it but the state of those bricks it needs saving asap or it will be too late
The 20 Arches, you can get on the southern trackbed from the next lane along, Sennicar lane but I don’t think it’s possible to get right upto the viaduct as the farmer maintains that section so may have commandeered it. It’s a shame it’s in that state. From what I can gather, happy to be corrected, no one is responsible for the viaduct but Wigan Council are responsible for safety from falling debris on the section over the footpath / private road simply for health and safety reasons but, as someone else has said, something needs doing soon else the lot will have to come down. I’ve been right up to the northern section where the security fence is and the gate was open. I didn’t venture on as I was on my own and concerned about falling through and if anyone was on there. Probably being paranoid but the gate could easily have been locked behind by someone then you are in trouble.
I agree with you about there's a strange feeling around there (wouldn't want to be there in the dark) It was also known as the Wigan avoiding line as it joined back up to the WCML south of Wigan. I always thought that Network Rail are still responsible for any disused bridges and viaducts.
DfT has taken over responsibility for the maintenance of disused structures such as these, from BRB (Residuary), which legally inherited such liabilities during the privatisation process. Somewhere there's a painted white panel on the brickwork with the structure's unique identifying reference number stencilled on. These were prefixed BRB until about five years ago, when that abbreviation was overpainted DfT.
Since privatisation of British Railways, the responsibility for all the railway structures no longer in active railway use passed from the defunct British Railways Board to what is currently called National Highways, whom have wantonly begun demolishing and infilling them at an increasing rate, to eliminate costs, destroying heritage and precluding future use :(
It’s not hard to glimpse inside a murky brain. If a structure is no longer in use, schemes and stratagems need to be dreamed up to dispose of it / them.
The large wooden timber on 14mins looks like an old way beam on a picture later in the video you show a guy taking measurements at the start of a way beam lots of metal bridges/viaducts even now don't have sleepers or ballast they have way beams running across the structure with chairs/ base plates holding the rail in place metal bridges/viaducts don't last as long as brick one's hence the lack of many metal ones not existing, where I was born there apparently was a lot of wood ones but nothing existing now.
Poor quality clay makes poor quality bricks. However there's a good chance that its been made worse by either blocked or poor drains on the viaduct deck causing water to seep through. Often remaining bridges like this are surfaced with tarmac to reduce water permeation Sadly many of these are managed by Highways England who have a history of not giving a monkeys
This is part of the history of this once great nation, just shows how much are government cares about are history. Seeing as they take billions in fines and taxes, I assume they spend it on themselfs not the history of the nation.
@geoffcartwright9990 Love stations named after pubs...White Bear, Berney Arms, Jolly Sailor( Norwood Junction) Fighting Cocks, Craven Arms, Old Roan....
Incredible and tragic beyond belief . . . . Excellent drone footage. Thank you for your work.
At 23:40 the bricked up arch you're pointing to is known as a "blind arch". It's an arch that doesn't go all the way through a wall. The arch next to it that you walked through is skewed in order to cross the road at the correct angle. The adjacent pier is therefore trapezoidal in plan view and the blind arch allows that construction while saving materials.
The term "Wigan dead in the centre" was quite apt but for completely different reasons.....😊 I used to go on top of these viaducts as a kid back in the early eighties.
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, FANTASTIC. UNBELIEVABLE. BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT IN PRODUCING THIS STUNNING PRESENTATION. BIG THANK YOU 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Nothing wrong with a bit of a free for all!!! That was a very entertaining explore, magnificent structures that seem to be left to rot, a real shame.
The amount of manpower to build these viaducts and materials is incredible. Nice video.
Proving HOW important Wigan once was to the country.
What a beautiful, creepy and magnificent place! Thanks for showing it to us, Ant. Amazing, especially "the dominoes".
I was doing the exact same thing about the same time as you ,my dog nearly fell down that hole at the start of the domino's and I felt like I was bing watched also ,great video
hiya ant , thanks for coming to wigan lancashire , at the beggining of your video as you walk past the sleepers , if you looked left you can just make out the trackbed of the third line which was a branch from haigh foundry to haigh jubction . indeed there is two superb signal box remains nearby with lots of superb bits and pieces still around , few know that a bomb fell there across the river i world war two , accssnyone who dares to go on top of the twenty bridges gains access from the other end , the small arch bridge you passed over on leyland mill lane was where haigh foundry built the first steam locomotive in lancashire around 1847 , my family originates from there , and late grandad was a signal man , indeed further up the line the platforms of red rock station still exist too , you could easily spend all day around there if you know to look , if ever you want to return let me know , all the best from nick in wigan , lancashire and proud of it lol
Cheers Nick. I'm currently hoping to return before the new year. It looks like i have only scratched the surface in this area
hiya ant , yes you have mate , we stashed a couple of lnwr track chairs last time we was there , and brought loads of stuff home , if you want an an expert guide please give me a shout i know the place backwards , promise , wigan is a world of lost railways , with plenty in my back garden , cheers mate , nick @@TrekkingExploration
Great video again, Ant. The other viaduct being iron or steel spans would have been worth money to the scrapper, so that's why it's gone.
Great video Ant, those viaducts are amazing. Always makes me sad to see such engineering lost and forgotten. All the work and effort that went into creating them.
Common theme, seems.
Why, after all that effort, the constructions disregard???
Amazing finds again. And for a double track railway too. The archive photo's were good as well. Showing us what it was like. Very enjoyable...all the best.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much
Brilliant vid Ant, glad you made it up north to see these, lots more hidden gems like these around Wigan
Glad you enjoyed it i need to come back it seems
So man thousands of man hours going to waste this must be saved this is are history are legacy
Wow, the overgrown parts look very beautiful
Without reading all the comments, if you look on an old map from around 1900 there was also a mineral railway that ran underneath that viaduct.
I'm surprised that it has been left to get into that state. Surely, they should maintain it. Another great explore, Ant. Thank you for sharing.
In the photo at 16:05, the survey worker's board shows the OS grid reference - SD 58 09. It is bridge number 2 when heading from Boar's Head towards Adlington.
Wow Ant, your on my doorstep here and I cycle under that arch weekly. Know loads of history there and there’s so much right near it that I began to explore during lockdown and became fascinated with it.
As for your reference to it being creepy, I first went down with my daughter who was equally fascinated too and we both felt exactly the same creepiness when we got near the dominoes. We also climbed up to the start of the dominoes and I had to keep tight hold of daughters hand when I also saw that massive hole in the middle of the first support.
A little further up the Douglas (walkable) is another amazing discovery of an old mill with sluice in tact from 1700’s too, linked to Arley (Wigan) Golf Club that has two shafts that go down twice the height of Blackpool tower (and this was engineered circa 300 years ago - utterly amazes me how they did this). The old giant circular stones that used to crush the coal are still there today.
The weir you referenced was to support a mill (long since gone) but just beyond there is Haigh Foundry steeped in history and I recently discovered an abandoned canal in Haigh Hall that fed coal to he foundry from the 1700’s
Not too far from the dominoes on what was that line, is Red Rock train station (still there and converted to a house)
Plenty to explore round these parts of your ever back
Hi Ian thankyou for the comment. I feel i need to pay another visit sometime soon especially as you mention quite a few locations worth visiting. I had better have a good look over the maps
@@TrekkingExploration Hi Ant, yes there is plenty more round there and best time to see it will be the coming months too, when the weeds etc have all died off. Happy to share some maps, reference material (website links) and even some video footage of when I was last there in June 21. And if you ever do make it back up, happy to come along and show you where it all located 👍
Ant, these viaducts have an industrial beauty in their own right, but the fact that they are not maintained, crumbling away & fairly inaccessible to the average person, because of the dense woodland, will mean, that as soon as the first span starts to fall, some official will have the whole thing demolished. I think it's great that you found this & have documented it for posterity as it stands now. I notice that a lot of other peoples vlogs show the subject matter halfway through demolition, with some old photo's of how it used to look edited in. So how about finding these structures in danger of demolition, & documenting them in high definition colour before this happens, that way preserving them for posterity, so they can be viewed in future, not in grainy black & white photo's of what they once were, but how they stand now, abandoned but complete.
Love your work Ant, you really have a great channel, mate. Regards Urban Geeze.
It’s amazing how nature reclaims the land once a place has been abandoned.
Just wow really. What absolutely amazing edifices. They couldn’t build them today. Especially not with the help of the plastic wheelbarrow. Thankyou.
What a amazing video and drone shots of the viaducts what a pity these viaducts could have used as walking and cycling tracks.Pity to see them in disrepair,thanks for taking the time to make these excellent videos from New Zealand
I remember walking up here 60 years ago and taking photographs, I was 11. Sadly can’t find them now. Brick arch viaducts were ten a penny back then but the Douglas Viaduct with steel spans between the domino piers fascinated me. Both viaducts were built after pre-existing lines.
What’s now the West Coast Mainline was on the western side of the valley and the Lancashire Union Railway from Blackburn to Liverpool via Chorley, which actually avoided Wigan, brushed past Wigan to the east, crossing over the WCML just south of what is now Springs Branch Maintenance Depot.
Various links and cross loops came later, including these viaducts. You can still trace the LU first line from just south of the Haigh Viaduct to Red Rock. The Haigh Viaduct and a short spur at Bamfurlong commandeered the LU to make the Whelley Loop, a ‘Wigan-avoiding’ eastern bypass for north-south trains. The Whelley Loop also had spurs onto the L&Y towards Hindley and to and from the line from Wigan Central to Glazebrook. As well as multiple mineral railways to the many pits hereabouts and to the immense iron works at Top Lock. These two viaducts made an x shape connecting the almost parallel lines originally built by competing companies which hadn’t previously been joined.
Oops, transposed those names.
Great Ant, these giants decaying amongst the woodland always seem eerie, abandonment and nature taking over
Amazing video Thankyou
Thanks very much Terence 😄
Like some ancient castle. Could last a thousand years.
Fascinating vid Ant . Have to say I have not seen anything on these viaducts before , great find . Would have been amazing to see these 15 / 20 years ago when still in good health . Can't help but feel they will be gone before too many years have passed .
Great coverage..👍👍👍👍
had to view it again. CHEERS.
Thanks very much this was a favourite of mine
Wow, i really enjoyed this video, it’s such a shame that a fabulous piece of history is going to ruins x
Thank you for showing us x
Thanks very much Wendy so pleased you enjoyed it 😊
Thanks Ant for a facinating tour.
I have a near complete set of 1" OS maps 1950's & early 60's on which I follow your great videos.
Really enjoyed this one buddy, 27 minutes well spent. Could i suggest that the large baulk of timber, was actually one of the inline sleepers I've seen on several bridges?
Great explore. There is some RUclips video of daft lads rock climbing up to the top of one of the tall dominoes and some bridge bungee swinging through an arch. Glad to see you kept your feet on the ground . Thanks for sharing. I went there and got sone drone footage of the dominoes . Stunning engineering by the Victorian’s . Shame Mother Nature is gonna damage them to destruction .
Thanks, Ant. Great video, felt as though we were walking through those arches with you. Fascinating, love that old architecture, what our forefathers could do with brick! Incredible! Loved the photos splashed throughout to give some context, and the overhead drone and the subtle music choice, that took you on the journey. I guessed the train, the T50/LCGB time period at 12:27 was from 1953... and you should another photo later dated 1951, so was happy with my guess. Subscribed, all. Brisbane, Australia.
Nice one Ant,know the place well as it’s on my doorstep.
The Whelley loop line was used extensively during the electrification
Of the WCML to divert passenger trains around Wigan.
Very interesting video.
They were beautiful. Hope they do repair work otherwise someone could get hurt.. very much enjoyed that thanks Ant. Please take care
another great find Ant never new about this one cheers for a great find loved it.
A well worth journey to the North West, Ant. The railway system around Wigan was a very complicated one with so many lines here and there. You picked two great constructions to have a look at with these viaducts. Good droning together with the old photos have made this one of your classic videos. Many thanks.
One of your best films for a while. Great explore. Don't think it'll be long b4 first viaduct is nothing more han a pile of bricks on the floor. Keep up the interesting content and the format, both are winners and no hint of commercialism.
2 more discoverys,thanks Ant.
Another good video Ant...
Nice to see you up in my neck of the woods Ant, Nice video as usual very informative. I will perhaps go and have a look over there sometime, probably wait while next summer now. Chris
Amazing video never knew these viaducts existed many thanks 👍🏻
These are fascinating. It does seem a little eerie there.
Hi Ant, another great video, Hever seen these viaducts before. Although they are not being maintained they are still beautiful structures aren't they. Its tragic really I don't think they will be around in a few years. They would be great for walking & cycling on if they were maintained but too far gone now I think. Thanks for sharing Ant. Take care. ❤😊
Thanks very much Carol. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this one as it's quite way from where you'll usually find me. Very much worth the visit 😁
Great to see you again Ant! Always enjoy your tours into the past. See you on the next! Cheers mate! ❤😊🎉
Glad you enjoyed it Martin
Great video Ant.
Thanks very much as always
Good find. After looking at a map, this looks like LMS territory. So they built both viaducts to go to two different locations and directions?
'...and all around decay I see.' So sad, but beautiful in its abandoned state. And the still at 21.01 of the trees - gorgeous.
It's a lovely yet haunting area. I didn't see a soul. Thank you for watching
love this, you created the same mood as you did with the awesome ones at the Derwent dams and the submerged villages.@@TrekkingExploration
@@danielholden-storey5107 I did enjoy making this one a lot. Occasionally I hear the music in my head as I walk around that I'd like to use
Another great video.
Quick question...how You copy screen from Railmaponline?
Fab explore. Great find. Loved the colours and scenery. I can imagine you feeling eerie if you walking quietly alone in the silence. Brave you. Thanks Ant brilliant as always.
Thanks Shirley it was absolutley worth the trip up there
Used to know a bunch of lads who would climb the dominoes way back and spend time abseiling and rappelling up and down on a Sunday afternoon. Definitely not my cup of tea, I get vertigo at the top of the stairs these days!
Nice to see you in a different coalfield than the usual, Ant. 👍
It's the DoT's responsibility to maintain these bridges and viaducts, but they've consistently failed in their duty, hence the state we see them in today.
There is a Wigan Council/Transport for Greater Manchester proposal to repair that line route from Standish towards Whelley and turn it into a traffic-free cycle/footpath, joining up with the existing path from Whelley to Hindley.
I’m hoping that this does actually happen.
A fascinating look at those viaducts, Ant. Thanks. I wonder how much it would cost to get rid of them, probably almost as much as to reinstate the line! Meanwhile it crumbles away!
There’s a proposal to refurb the Douglas viaduct and turn it into a footpath/cycleway.
Great tee shirt and what a band. Video is great
Excellent work…ta
Thanks very much
I wish they wouldn’t graffiti up these things. Love your videos.
Hi Ant. Great video on these two old Viaduct Bridge's. I don't know if I have any viaduct bridges or not in the US, but I just love them. I can't believe that they have lasted so long, I believe that it doesn't have any Rebar to hold it together, but trains lasted for years crossing it. Thanks again for the video and information about these two bridges.
One of the greatest viaducts / railway spans I've seen is in America ...Arizona I think .... a total construction in wood , its at a great height spanning a canyon and curved . It really is a sight to behold and may be worth you doing a bit of research .
Actually it's in Southern California and is called .......... The Goat Canyon railway trestle bridge
Absolute trainmania back in the day! They almost run through your bedroom!
Really does make a difference getting drone footage, you get such a better idea and great views. The videos wouldnt be as good without the drone footage.
Hi Ant, great video mate. These viaducts are my playground. Unfortunately you’re about 1 year late as the gates on top use to be open and you could walk along the track bed. There were a number of trees growing on top where I camped a last year, there’s a video on my channel, but since the trees have been cut down and the gate locked. You can access the other side from Chorley Rd, there’s a few more things to see. If you’re interested in culverts there a culverts under the west coast mainline at Hic Bibby, again a video on my channel, great little explore but you’ll need wellies, good luck 👍
I'll be sure to have a look. I feel a return visit coming on very soon
Great video as always Ant. Sad yet fascinating to see photos of these amazing structures how they used to be and then what remains of them now. The Boars Head Haigh Viaduct reminds me of the Glen Mooar Viaduct in the Isle of Man which we visited many years ago. I believe that was of a similar construction, but all that remains now are two massive tall stone pillars rising out of the woodland - quite eerie 😱
I love watching your videos and do you know something else that makes you so wonderfully different? You don't use bad language. You 're a good guy
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That's so very kind of you. I'm the same person without the camera too swearing is a rare occurrence. Only time I can remember was once when seagulls wouldn't stay quiet 🤫
There's another one just like these near Bolton Abbey, I wonder if you know about it or been to it. Used to be part of the Ilkley-Skipton line that got axed in the 60s.
Interesting thankyou i'll have a look on maps
smashing video what a sorry state they are in all that hard work building them and now left to crumble away till they fall down just madness 😠shame they are still not in use then they would be maintained it's part of our heritage
I'm not a professional, "but" it seems dressed stone has a much longer useful live than brick. Ant, it looks like you had another great day for the explore, from the looks of the old B&W photos there was at one time a lot of cows in that area? Thanks for your time, work and posting..... So much history, so little time.
Squirrels dont hibernate,,
But well spotted with the two viaducts...
Its such a shame that, all that hard graft, building those, was wasted by beecham...
Just imagine the cost and time nowadays....
Ching, and his recommends to...
You wore an appropriate T shirt. The PoL, which has the fitting track Precision and Decay 😉. Another great explore Ant
Cracking album, I've got the new album and T Shirt too 😉
I do like Ghost Star on PoL
Saw them this summer
Hope you enjoyed it
Did you see them on Later with Joel's? Good to see them as a 4 piece
You need to visit the Fauld crater close to Hanbury the site of one of the biggest ever non nuclear explosions it would make a great addition to this series.
It's not a long walk but the site and history is fascinating if a little gruesome
I've been there a few times, it is a fascinating place but I wouldn't fancy trying to get into the crater and find the tunnels underneath - there is a video on here of some people who got in a few years ago
@@angeg1587 it's Mod land you would be in deep do do if you got caught inside the perimeter not to mention they think there could still be unexploded ordnance inside the crater
Exactly - which is why i wouldn't fancy it !@@matthewstanton9633
Hi Ant, hope you thought the trip up was worth while. there's more to see that you missed , like the other side and the cross over of the 2 lines, plus the other end of the sidings you mentioned. there's boars Head station, which is on 2 lines, so a split station. Thanks for pronouncing Haigh, correctly. not haig, like the rest of the world.. If you want to do a part 2 for the other bits, let me, and can meet up..Brill Video.
Ahhh so you can get onto the other side? That's good to know should I or when I return for other things
@@TrekkingExploration let me know when. A couple of years we went on the viaduct, still then they cut all the trees down, but it looks like there are growing again fast..
Hi Geoff, do you know about the old mill that sits behind Wigan golf course on the bank of Douglas that I mentioned in my comment to Ants video? Found it by total accident when went to find the Culvert where the Douglas passes under Worthington Reservoirs.
@@iantwigg6983 my attention spiked when you say Mill and especially a Culvert
Likely spiked as high as my excitement when I found it. Has no idea what it was. Went home and went on the internet and found it’s history and then had to go back to try and find the millrace and lone and behold I found it with the sluice gate still in tact. Just wish I could have found a Time Machine to take me back to when it was operational
Martin Zero was not too far off where you were when he did his ancient monument in Haigh and also the Aspull pumping house videos (the latter one being quite scary when you shine your torch down the chamber).
Hi Ant at 23.51 you spin around to go back through the arch. But if you look closely there appears to be another blind arch, although smaller than the previous one. In between two full size arches?
There's a single skew arch (the one he walks through) separated from the adjacent regular arch on each side by a pier. The piers between regular arches are rectangular in plan view, like the dominoes, but the ones adjacent to the skew arch have a more complex trapezoidal plan view, with one narrow face and one wide face. The blind arch within the wide face allows a strong construction while economising on material. If you look at the skew arch itself you'll see the courses of brick spiral over your head as you walk through it. At one point Ant makes a comment about "sandstone", referring to the sawtooth edged skewback from which the helical courses of brick spring. Skew arches are a great fascination for me. There's a pretty good article about them on Wikipedia.
I get your Blair Witch ref, those trees are creepy, but also got a distinct opening scene from Space Odyssey feeling, big tall slabs of brick poking out of the trees, still some majestic structures though. Great find Ant, well produced as usual👍👍👍
Interesting. I think, as you suggested, the 20th arch is the one that never was. Stay safe.
Thanks very much for watching. Im pleased you think the same too 😊
Eternity Road by The Moody Blues!
Be careful Ant - Don't want any brick falling on your head now!!! Interesting to see how the land scape has changed over the year - by comparing with the old B / W photos to your video now!!! There are more trees now than you can see in the old B / W photos!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂
Compare the conditions of these bridges to those on the GCR which are far superior. Great work as usual.
Thanks very much Michael
Really interesting,Ant,such a shame a lot of decay, tree roots would do a lot of damage to the foundations, shame everything gets neglected x
All hidden away really. Long forgotten
It looks like mother nature is responsible for the maintenance.
probably whats holdiing it up now
@@TrekkingExploration If nothing is done to arrest it's decline then eventually it will collapse under it's own weight and you hope there's no one near at the time for a few notices here and there won't deter people.
The authorities may even demolish it before it's gets to that stage itself. Here's hoping some money is allocated to arrest it's decline.
Wigan council should be contacted and all the trees and foliage needs to be removed... or in a few years alittle jobsworth will pop along and condemn it and another beauty will be resigned to the History books... Super video Ant... cheers and thanks for all your Hard Graft !
I've read that the railway paths people or someone like that are pushing to be able to use it but the state of those bricks it needs saving asap or it will be too late
I wouldn't hold your breath with Wigan council.
The 20 Arches, you can get on the southern trackbed from the next lane along, Sennicar lane but I don’t think it’s possible to get right upto the viaduct as the farmer maintains that section so may have commandeered it.
It’s a shame it’s in that state. From what I can gather, happy to be corrected, no one is responsible for the viaduct but Wigan Council are responsible for safety from falling debris on the section over the footpath / private road simply for health and safety reasons but, as someone else has said, something needs doing soon else the lot will have to come down.
I’ve been right up to the northern section where the security fence is and the gate was open. I didn’t venture on as I was on my own and concerned about falling through and if anyone was on there. Probably being paranoid but the gate could easily have been locked behind by someone then you are in trouble.
You can check out the Miley End tunnel in Preston and it's haunted too, if you go past UCLAN university it's on your right head side
I agree with you about there's a strange feeling around there (wouldn't want to be there in the dark)
It was also known as the Wigan avoiding line as it joined back up to the WCML south of Wigan.
I always thought that Network Rail are still responsible for any disused bridges and viaducts.
DfT has taken over responsibility for the maintenance of disused structures such as these, from BRB (Residuary), which legally inherited such liabilities during the privatisation process. Somewhere there's a painted white panel on the brickwork with the structure's unique identifying reference number stencilled on. These were prefixed BRB until about five years ago, when that abbreviation was overpainted DfT.
It’s criminal the lack of use of our old railway lines creating cycleways and foot paths in this country
So sad to see all this lovely infrastructure abandoned and crunbling. But I guess that is reality.
Since privatisation of British Railways, the responsibility for all the railway structures no longer in active railway use passed from the defunct British Railways Board to what is currently called National Highways, whom have wantonly begun demolishing and infilling them at an increasing rate, to eliminate costs, destroying heritage and precluding future use :(
Incorrect!😊
The easy way out?
It’s not hard to glimpse inside a murky brain. If a structure is no longer in use, schemes and stratagems need to be dreamed up to dispose of it / them.
WOW! So much nonsense.....
@richardharrold9736 🤣🤣
The large wooden timber on 14mins looks like an old way beam on a picture later in the video you show a guy taking measurements at the start of a way beam lots of metal bridges/viaducts even now don't have sleepers or ballast they have way beams running across the structure with chairs/ base plates holding the rail in place metal bridges/viaducts don't last as long as brick one's hence the lack of many metal ones not existing, where I was born there apparently was a lot of wood ones but nothing existing now.
Its such a shame that line wasn't least over to a heritage railway. Could've made a great tourist attraction
We are in the countryside music spoils the silence.
Me too but I couldn't imagine a life without music
It's a good job these aren't being used for tourism or cycling routes.
My regular dog walking area. Shame you didn't visit a few months back, as Whelley/Douglas Viaduct has been unlocked for the past three years.
Typical isn't it? 🤣
I've got other stuff to do around there so I'll be back maybe it'll be open
Wonderful explore!
Is your Dad Stan, ex Nottingham City Police?
Poor quality clay makes poor quality bricks. However there's a good chance that its been made worse by either blocked or poor drains on the viaduct deck causing water to seep through. Often remaining bridges like this are surfaced with tarmac to reduce water permeation
Sadly many of these are managed by Highways England who have a history of not giving a monkeys
A push bike might come in handy, with a camera clamped to the handlebars?
Cheers brother..
Hare Krishna
Thanks very much for watching Matt
Must be a hidden room in that bricked up arch 😮😮😮
This is part of the history of this once great nation, just shows how much are government cares about are history. Seeing as they take billions in fines and taxes, I assume they spend it on themselfs not the history of the nation.
Superb! Was there a station called Boars Head?
Yep, there's remains still to be seen....
@geoffcartwright9990 Love stations named after pubs...White Bear, Berney Arms, Jolly Sailor( Norwood Junction) Fighting Cocks, Craven Arms, Old Roan....
only just@@geoffcartwright9990
I think the hairdressers is in a station building.
@@railwaychristina3192 Of course Craven Arms gives its name to the town.