Friockheim, Railway Viaduct
Railway Viaduct (19th Century)
Site Name Friockheim, Railway Viaduct
Classification Railway Viaduct (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Lunan Water
Canmore ID 34650
Site Number NO54NE 44
NGR NO 58873 49634
NGR Description NO 58872 49871 to NO 58877 49611
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/34650
- Council Angus
- Parish Kirkden
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Angus
- Former County Angus
NO54NE 44 58872 49871 to NO 58877 49611
Extends across parts of the parishes of Kirkden and Guthrie.
(Location cited as NO 588 496). Friockheim Viaduct, built c. 1839 for the Arbroath and Forfar Rly. A remarkable 8-span viaduct with ribbed elliptical arches, 2 of which have the ribs extended down almost to ground level. The parapets are castellated.
J R Hume 1977.
Built in about 1840 for the Arbroath and Forfar Rly., which was later absorbed by the Caledonian Rly., this viaduct stands on the eastern side of what was formerly a triangular junction with the Caledonian main line to Aberdeen and formed part of the earliest railway link between Arbroath and Montrose. This line was rendered obsolete when the North British Rly. constructed a direct coastal route in the 1880's, and the viaduct had ceased to be used for railway traffic before 1914.
Constructed on a slightly curved N-S axis over the Lunan Water and its tributaries at the western end of Friockheim village, the viaduct has an overall length of about 620 ft (189m) and a width of 27ft 9in (8.46m). It has a battlemented parapet and a slabstone deck carried by eight out of an original series of nine ribbed elliptical arches of 60 ft (18.29m) spans. The soffit of each arch has six ribs bonded by six transverse ribs, two of which occur at each crown. At the southern end, there are two infilled blind arches and a road-cutting, all subsequently modified in connection with a girder bridge. The masonry throughout is of local red sandstone with tooled or pecked ashlar dressings and snecked rubble walling which approaches ashlar standards in its quality of execution and jointing.
G D Hay and G P Stell 1986.
This site has only been partially upgraded for SCRAN. For further information, please consult the Architecture Catalogues for Angus District.
February 1998.
Publication Account (1986)
Built in about 1840 For the Arbroath and ForFar Railway, which was later absorbed by the Caledonian Railway, this viaduct stands on the eastern side of what was Formerly a triangular junction with the Caledonian main line to Aberdeen and formed part of the earliest railway link between Arbroath and Montrose. This line was rendered obsolete when the North British Railway constructed a direct coastal route in the 1880s, and the viaduct had ceased to be used for railway traffic before 1914.
Constructed on a slightly curved N-S axis over the Lunan Water and its tributaries at the western end of Friockheim village, the viaduct has an overall length of about 620ft (189m) and a width of 27ft 9 in (8.46m). It has a battlemented parapet and a slabstone deck carried by eight out of an original series of nine ribbed elliptical arches of 60ft (18.29m) spans. The soffit of each arch has six ribs bonded by six transverse ribs, two of which occur at each crown. At the southern end there are two infilled blind arches and a road-cutting, all subsequently modified in association with a girder bridge. The masonry throughout is of local red sandstone with tooled or pecked ashlar dressings and snecked rubble walling which approaches ashlar standards in its quality of execution and jointing.
Information from ‘Monuments of Industry: An Illustrated Historical Record’ (1986).
