Dandry Mire Viaduct
Dandry Mire Viaduct, also known as Moorcock Viaduct or Garsdale Viaduct, is a railway bridge on the Settle–Carlisle line in Cumbria, England. It lies just north of Garsdale station, about 21 miles north of Settle and 51 miles south of Carlisle.
The viaduct is built of sandstone and has 12 arches. It is about 730 feet (220 meters) long and roughly 50 feet (15 meters) high, carrying two tracks of standard gauge. It crosses Dandry Mire Moss and, today, the Pennine Bridleway as well.
History and construction
- The original plan was to cross Dandry Mire with an embankment, but the bog swallowed the material, so engineers dug a trench and built a viaduct instead.
- Work began in 1873 as part of the Settle–Carlisle construction. The project was originally planned as an 8-arch viaduct, but it was extended to 12 arches.
- The sandstone arches were completed by May 1875, with the approach embankments finished a couple of months later and the parapet completed in September 1875.
- The main architect was John Holloway Sanders; the chief engineer during construction was J. S. Crossley.
Names and designation
- The structure is commonly called Dandry Mire, but it has also been known as Moorcock Viaduct or Garsdale Viaduct. Some sources spell it as Dandrymire.
- During World War II, a Luftwaffe bomber dropped bombs nearby but missed the viaduct.
- Dandry Mire Viaduct is a Grade II listed building, designated on 14 June 1984.
Location details
- The viaduct is at the head of Garsdale and near Moorcock Inn. The A684 road near Moorcock Inn is close to the Dandry Mire camp where workers lived during construction.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:27 (CET).