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Summary

Now demolished. Grenofen viaduct was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was erected between 1856 and 1859. The railway closed in 1962, after which the bridge was partially dismantled. It was finally demolished in 1965. Survey in 2009 in advance of the construction of a new cycle bridge over the River Walkham.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VIADUCT (Constructed, XIX - 1857 AD (Between) to 1859 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Viaduct' is depicted on the late 19th century historic map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Unchanged from the late 19th century historic map. The south-east end of the viaduct on the historic map doesn't align particularly well with the modern mapping.

Rendell, P., 1996, Exploring the Lower Walkham Valley, 20-21 (Monograph). SDV361766.

Stead, P., 2011, Archaeological Recording at Grenofen Viaduct, Buckland Monachorum, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV359915.

Grenofen viaduct was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was erected between 1856 and 1859. The viaduct was constructed with masonry piers topped by a timber superstructure. It comprised 15 spans, each 66 feet wide, and two end spans 60 feet wide, and stood 132 feet above the river. The timber superstructure was replaced in 1910 with new brick piers and 6-ton granite bedstones supporting a metal latticework of girders. The railway closed in 1962, after which the bridge was partially dismantled. It was finally demolished in 1965 (citing Rendall 1996, 20-21).
Watching brief carried out in advance of the construction of a new cycle bridge over the river Walkham, near Tavistock. On the south side of the river the railway approached the viaduct in a cutting and then on a terrace before passing onto an embankment. This embankment still survives, incorporating masonry of one of the granite piers, and the remains of two small buildings. Below the embankment brick and stone debris (including several granite fragments) from the demolished piers are visible. On the north side of the river the end pier survives in-situ, and a number of bedstones are also present, two of which have been set into a landscaped bank on the alignment of the viaduct.
The new bridge is to be constructed at a lower level than the former viaduct and will be carried on four new piers. On the south bank the cycle track will drop from the existing railway level down to the new bridge, which will necessitate the lowering of the ground and partial removal of the embankment to the railway. On the north bank the ground level will be raised to allow the bridge to connect with the existing track.
Recording focused on the surviving remains of Grenofen viaduct, although nearby mine workings outside of the development area were noted and added to the existing topographical survey. A number of earthworks and
structures were found on both sides of the river. On the south side of the river these included the remains of two small buildings, a terrace, an embankment and the remains of four viaduct piers. On the west side of the river the only in-situ feature is the end pier, although the possible remains of a second pier were identified. Along the route of the existing cycleway a number of artefacts associated with the railway are evident. These include bedstones, other large granite blocks and two fragments of the metal latticework from the 1910 rebuilding of the viaduct. Mining remains included dressing floors, buddles, and a leat.

Tyler, K., 2011, Gem Bridge, River Walkham, Dartmoor: an archaeological watching brief (Report - Watching Brief). SDV364044.

Monitoring of groundworks for a new footbridge recorded three piers of Brunel's demolished viaduct.

Tamar Valley AONB volunteers, 2015, Watery Heritage Research Project for Tamar Valley AONB (Report - Assessment). SDV366118.

Walkham Viaduct is recorded in an article of 6th Feb 1965 in the Western Morning News- Walkham Viaduct “blasted into scrap” with a photograph of the steelwork from below.
A picture of Grenofen Viaduct with the river in the foreground is presented in the Tavistock Times of 31st May 2001.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7141 - Watching brief at Grenofen Viaduct, Buckland Monachorum (Ref: 7122)
• EDV8374 - Watching brief at Gem Bridge (Ref: ACD279)

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