Now a Grade 2 listed building, this magnificent curved stone structure replaced the original timber viaduct of 1850 – the first trains had run on July 1st 1850 when the line was part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and on the main line from Bradford to London.

Described by a Sheffield newspaper as having a “cobweb appearance”, this timber viaduct ( a shaky wooden trestle construction! ) was always unpopular with more fearful travellers and the Railway Company eventually committed to building a new stone viaduct, the contract being awarded to the newly formed partnership of Naylor Brothers Contractors* at a price of £27,650 for completion in two and a half years.

Work started, adjacent to the timber viaduct, in September 1877 and the opening ceremony was held on Whit Sunday May 16th 1880.

The viaduct, which crosses the River Dearne and two main roads, features 21 arches, the “skew” arch across Barnsley Road being an especially remarkable engineering achievement.

*During construction of the line the deep cutting near Denby Dale Station, across an area of farmland known as The Bromleys, had exposed outcrops of coals, sandstone, brick clay shales and fire clay which persuaded Naylors to purchase the site and move from Scholes to Denby Dale, where they manufactured clay pipes until 1993.