Monday, February 19, 2007

Leaderfoot Viaduct




Pictures of the Leaderfoot Viaduct near St Boswells.
This from http://www.scottishbordersheritage.co.uk/heritage/lastdetails.jsp?id=211 Three bridges cross the Tweed at Leaderfoot and these are best seen from the viewpoint at the south end of the oldest, central bridge. The first structure at this point, now long gone, would have carried the Roman road, Dere Street on its way from the nearby fort of Trimontium to the northern frontier of the Empire on the edge of the Highlands. Alexander Stevens built the old road bridge in 1779-80 to carry a new Turnpike between Jedburgh and Edinburgh. This bridge is now closed to motor vehicles and carries part of the Tweed Cycle Way. In 1865 the magnificent Leaderfoot Viaduct of thirteen arches was constructed for the St Boswells Junction to Reston section of the Berwickshire Railway, a line which closed in 1948. The most recent bridge carries the A68 trunk road and was built in 1971-73. Please note there is no public access to the Leaderfoot Viaduct, which may be viewed from the roadside only.
Note that the railway line ran from St Boswells to Reston, via Duns. Duns is a small village near Coldstream.

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