Swin Bridge (also 'Cockfield Bridge' or 'Haggerleases Bridge') is the local name for a skew arch bridge in County Durham. It was built in 1830 for the Haggerleases branch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, crossing the River Gaunless at Cockfield. It is important as an early example of the masonry arch skew bridge, and the first used to carry a railway.

Nearby Places View Menu
437 m

Haggerleases railway station

Haggerleases railway station, also known as Butterknowle railway station, served the village of Butterknowle, County Durham, England, in 1859 on the Haggerleases Branch.
528 m

The Slack

The Slack is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated near to Butterknowle, to the west of Bishop Auckland.
Location Image
1.1 km

Cockfield Fell railway station

Cockfield Fell railway station was a railway station on the Bishop Auckland to Barnard Castle section of the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway that served the village of Cockfield, County Durham, North East England from 1863 to 1962.
Location Image
1.1 km

Gaunless Viaduct

Gaunless Viaduct, also known as the Lands Viaduct, was a railway viaduct in County Durham. It was designed by Thomas Bouch to carry the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway between Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle over the River Gaunless at Lands, also crossing the Haggerleases branch of the railway to Butterknowle. Bouch designed the viaduct in 1862 and it was built as four lattice truss spans supported on diagonally staggered, paired circular brick piers. It opened on 1 August 1863, at a cost of £15,422. It was 161 feet (49 m) high with a total span of 640 feet (200 m). The viaduct was built for double track widths, although only a single line was laid at first. In 1899 work began to lay this second line, but it was found that the ironwork of the trusses was so badly decayed that they needed to be replaced. This work took until at least 1903. Several photographs exist showing the bridge at this time, still operating but with the spans supported by substantial timber shoring beneath them.