Giltbrook Viaduct, Railway arch bridge in Nottinghamshire, England
Giltbrook Viaduct is a railway arch bridge in Nottinghamshire built with 43 red brick arches that cross the Erewash Valley. The S-shaped structure is divided into four sections and designed so that roads, railways, and canals could pass beneath it.
The viaduct was built between 1873 and 1875 as part of the Great Northern Railway Derbyshire Extension. Chief Civil Engineer Richard Johnson designed it, and contractor Joseph Firbank was responsible for its construction.
Local people call this structure Forty Bridges, and some of its arches were converted into homes that served as shelters during wartime. This shows how the viaduct became woven into everyday life beyond its role as a railway crossing.
The viaduct is visible from several viewpoints, especially from below where you can see the different arches and their varying sizes. For the best view of the entire S-shaped structure, position yourself where multiple sections are visible at once.
The arches of the viaduct have different span widths, including a 45-foot segmental arch crossing the Nottingham Canal and multiple standard arches. This variety shows how engineers carefully adapted the design to fit the structures passing beneath.
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