Landore viaduct
Encyclopedia
The Landore viaduct is a railway viaduct
over the Swansea
valley and the River Tawe
at Landore
in south Wales
. It provides a link between Swansea city centre
and the West Wales Line
to the South Wales Main Line
. The valley crossing provides a panoramic view of Landore, Kilvey Hill
, the Liberty Stadium
and the Swansea Enterprise Park
.
The viaduct dates as far back as 1850. Originally, it was 563 metres (1,847.1 ft) long structure designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
. The original structure incorporated a diverse range of structural design elements and was constructed in timber. The structure was updated in 1889, using wrought-iron for the central span. In 1978/1979, the rest of the viaduct was re-decked with steel beams.
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
over the Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
valley and the River Tawe
River Tawe
The River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its main tributaries are the right bank Upper and Lower Clydach...
at Landore
Landore
Landore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It provides a link between Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
and the West Wales Line
West Wales Line
The West Wales Lines are a group of railway lines from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire, West Wales...
to the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
. The valley crossing provides a panoramic view of Landore, Kilvey Hill
Kilvey Hill
Kilvey Hill is a hill in Britain. It rises in south Wales, to the east of Swansea city centre. Kilvey Hill is high and is classed as a Sub Marilyn...
, the Liberty Stadium
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
The Liberty Stadium is a purpose-built sports stadium and conferencing venue in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium is all-seated, with a capacity of 20,532 making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea and the third largest stadium in Wales after the Millennium Stadium and the...
and the Swansea Enterprise Park
Swansea Enterprise Park
The Swansea Enterprise Park is a combined business park, retail park and industrial estate in Swansea, Wales. In 1981 it became the first enterprise zone in the United Kingdom, and the largest. Originally it was named the Swansea Enterprise Zone. The designated area covers parts of the...
.
The viaduct dates as far back as 1850. Originally, it was 563 metres (1,847.1 ft) long structure designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
. The original structure incorporated a diverse range of structural design elements and was constructed in timber. The structure was updated in 1889, using wrought-iron for the central span. In 1978/1979, the rest of the viaduct was re-decked with steel beams.