Following the closure of Tadcaster's road bridge as a result of flood damage, the only way to cross the River Wharfe was by this old railway viaduct which now carries a footpath. This involved quite a long detour to this bridge which is half a mile north of the damaged road bridge. As you can see, the remains of the flood water still lie on the lower ground beside the river, giving the opportunity for a reflection shot.
This bridge itself has an interesting history, being built as part of George Hudson's railway empire in the late 1840's, when a more direct route was to be created between York and Leeds. Construction was suspended in 1849 and apart from a short cutting east of the bridge, no more of the route was started before Hudson's empire colapsed as a result of financial irregularities, and it was completely abandoned - so this bridge never carried the train service planned for it.
Today it makes a good viewpoint along the River Wharf and across surrounding countryside.
Thank you all for your comments, it is nice to hear from you all and to get your insights into what you see in my photo.
There have been proposals in the past to convert this viaduct into a road, but it is too narrow and would need widening for traffic, which would be a very costly task. Also, beyond the end of the viaduct, between this and the road east of the river there is now housing.
Ian
March 8th, 2016
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Thank you all for your comments, it is nice to hear from you all and to get your insights into what you see in my photo.
There have been proposals in the past to convert this viaduct into a road, but it is too narrow and would need widening for traffic, which would be a very costly task. Also, beyond the end of the viaduct, between this and the road east of the river there is now housing.
Ian