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February 2022 Written by the community for the community
Where people tell their stories No. 78 www.ilkestonlife.com 50p where sold
Cheering our readers in Ilkeston and surrounding districts
All hands on deck
Viaduct opens to public after decades of closure
t is 54 years since the last freight train PLANS
Icrossed the Erewash Valley on the The successful project, begun in 2017, was
Bennerley Viaduct; 58 years since the the latest in a line of schemes designed to re- Above: Pupils from Awsworth Primnary School on
final passengers made that journey. Now, store and re-purpose the viaduct as a walking the newly opened Bennerley Viaduct.
after facing down attempts to demolish and cycling path in the sky. The Benner- Right: Andy Savage (left) and David Pemberton.
it, enduring a siege by open cast mining, ley Viaduct Trust Working Party (later the
and undergoing changes of ownership Bennerley Viaduct Preservation Trust) spent
it is back in use, this time as a route for years working on plans for a scheme which
walkers and cyclists. they finalised in the late 1990s. But when
The deck of the viaduct is also accessible British Rail changed its policy on disposing
for wheelchair and mobility scooter users. of assets the Trust could no longer take own-
The viaduct was declared open on Wednes- ership of the viaduct and its plans came to
day 14th January when works on the new nothing. Railway Paths Ltd. was created to
deck were finished. Andy Savage, out- handle redundant railway property including
going chairman of the Railway Heritage the viaduct. It was not until 2015 that a new
Trust, joined David Pemberton, Director plan was drawn up, this time by Sustrans,
of Railway Paths Ltd. on the new deck to the sustainable transport charity. The Friends
see contractors, Crown Plus, finish their of Bennerley Viaduct was formed to be a
work. RHT was one of the major funders of partner in the scheme. When this project too
the project “Bennerley Viaduct: Access to was shelved in 2017 Railway Paths stepped
Heritage” which has brought the Iron Giant in to work with the Friends.
back to life. “I had the honour of the first MORE REACTIONS
cycle ride across it,” said Andy Savage. Kieran Lee, FoBV Community Engagement
VISITORS Officer.
The following day, in glorious sunshine, “The re-opening of the viaduct is a testament
hundreds of local people and visitors from to the way people and organisations have
further afield flocked to the viaduct to be worked together. The owners, the Friends,
among the first to stroll, run or ride across, local communities on both sides of the coun-
or just to pause and enjoy the views up and ty boundary, groups of enthusiasts and the
down the Erewash Valley. Since then it has funding bodies have joined forces to achieve
been non-stop traffic. Transformed from a a common goal. Special thanks must go to
marooned and redundant bridge, the Iron RPL who led the project.”
Giant is now more like an inland pier, a Jeff Wynch, chair of the FoBV committee.
seaside promenade or even, as someone “It was a real delight to stand on the viaduct
suggested one foggy morning, the deck of on opening day watching and talking to the
an ocean liner! first visitors. They were mostly local people
The biggest group of visitors was a party of who had walked or cycled from home.
180 pupils from Awsworth Primary School. They’ve been looking forward to this day
Deputy Head Ian Baxter, an expert in using as much as everyone involved in the project
local heritage in children’s education is also has. You could see the joy on their faces as
a Trustee of the Friends. “We’ve included they took in a view of the Erewash Valley
a study of the viaduct in our curriculum that most of them had never seen before”.
for several years now but having access to John Scruton, chair of FoBV Trustees.
the whole structure has really opened the “During the course of the project the FoBV
children’s eyes to the historic and natural has grown and become a registered charity.
heritage just thirty minutes’ walk from the We have learnt a great deal working with
classroom,” says Dr. Baxter. Continued on P2
New use for Ilkeston’s Meeting called for anyone
art-deco Ritz cinema interested in having our
up for discussion - P6 own community theatre - P4
Top v second: Ilkeston draw with Halesowen in front of another two thousand-plus crowd at the New Manor Ground - P24