Railway Structures
Langstone Viaduct
Langstone Viaduct was a timber trestle structure linking Hayling
Island with the mainland. It was completed by the impecunious Hayling Railway
in 1867. The viaduct was 370 yards long, with 49 spans, including one that
opened for shipping. The railway was single track and only the lightest
locomotives could cross the viaduct. Many of the timbers were renewed in 1902
and 1903, and the Southern Railway largely rebuilt the viaduct between 1928 and
1931. However, the need for further extensive repairs resulted in the line
closing, with the last trains running on 3rd November 1963.
The concrete footings off which the Southern Railway timber trestle was constructed are only exposed at low tide.
The remains of the supports for the swing span mark the navigation channel at the middle of the former bridge. Two timber stumps remain at the quarter points, apparently to mark the position of the footings at high tide. |
For more details of the Hayling Island branch, see here.
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This page was created 25 January 2010
