In 1846 The Blackburn & Bolton Railway Company were struggling to keep their line open and to make it financially viable. They decided that if they extended their operations to the Ribble Valley this would open up the area to the industrial centres of Lancashire, and give them the much needed traffic. Work began at once to take the line as far as Clitheroe.
In 1850 it was terminated at Chatburn which is beyond Clitheroe. The Whalley Viaduct was built to carry the railway over the river Calder. It is the longest brick viaduct in Lancashire. 605 m long, consisting of 29 arches of 9 m (30ft) and 20 arches of 12 m (40ft), it took three years to complete at a cost of £40,000. The bricks were made in Whalley from clay taken from Hardle Common.
The arches are 21 m (70ft) above the River Calder and 7,000,000 bricks were used. The twelfth and thirteenth arches, counting from Billington side fell down during construction.
An unusual feature is that the arch nearest to Whalley Abbey was filled in with a brick screen decorated with a large gothic arch.
Can be seen from the A59 between Billington and Whalley.
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