Monsal Dale Headstone Viaduct

A five arch masonry viaduct constructed to carry the Midland Railway across the Wye Valley at a bend in the river near Monsal Head in the Peak District National Park. The rail tracks have been dismantled and the viaduct now forms part of the Monsal Trail. It lies within a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The viaduct lies on the Rowsley to Buxton stretch of the Midland Railway’s Derby to Buxton and Manchester line, near the west end of the 487m long Headstone Tunnel (SK183715 to SK188713). It was designed by railway’s chief engineer William Henry Barlow (1812-1902) and opened in 1863. Also known as the Headstone Viaduct, Monsal Dale Viaduct is constructed in rubble limestone with Staffordshire blue brick voussoirs and string course. It is 91.4m long, 8.6m wide and consists of five semicircular arches, each of 15.5m span. The voussoirs have a 229mm inner ring of alternate headers and stretchers, surmounted by five rings of 114mm. The River Wye flows under the central arch.