Southdown Road Skew Bridge

The Southdown Road Skew Bridge is a brick railway viaduct in Harpenden that carries four tracks of the Midland Main Line across a road below. The structure is angled at approximately 65 degrees and supported by a ribbed arch that crosses at this unusual angle.

Built in 1868 by the Midland Railway, the bridge was created to extend railway tracks toward London and serve St. Pancras Station. It represents the period of major Victorian railway expansion that connected cities across England.

The bridge shows how Victorian engineers solved the challenge of crossing a road at an angle beneath railway tracks, using techniques that were considered advanced for their time. When you walk underneath, you can see the careful brickwork that holds the four-track railway line above.

The best view of the bridge is from the road looking upward, where you can see the full structure spanning the railway. You can also walk beneath it to observe the brick arch from below and understand how the angled design works.

The bridge features an unusual internal design with stepped layers in the arch rather than the typical spiral brick pattern found in most skew bridges. This construction approach was innovative and set it apart from other angled railway viaducts of the same period.

Location: Harpenden

Official opening: 1868

GPS coordinates: 51.80799,-0.34643

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:01