Bennerley Viaduct & Flying Cars

This week we were all back together and Geoff has been itching to walk over the disused Bennerley Viaduct which spans over the Erewash Valley. We set off at 6:30 and found our way to the Newtons Lane car park at Awsworth.
It was a short walk down the road past Ilkeston Football ground to get onto the Erewash Canal footpath at Barkers Lock.

The Bennerley Viaduct

The river Erewash

Weather vane on Ilkeston Town FC

Is it Bill or is it Ben sitting by the canal

You can just see the viaduct 

After a nice stroll along the canal it wasn't long before we got to the Viaduct. Its a massive steel lattice structure built between 1876 & 1878 by the Great Northern Railway. It spans over the Erewash Valley between Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, is 1452 feet long and is just over 60 feet high. Its now a grade 11 listed structure and is on the buildings at risk register. We got up to the viaduct and there was a man already up there and he was doing an exercise routine. He turned out to be a Russian on holiday, a very nice chap. He took the pic of us 4 shown below.

The 4 of us at the south end of the Bennerley Viaduct.

The viaduct passes over the main tracks

A steel lattice construction with what must be hundreds of thousands of rivets .

Sadly there have been at least 2 suicides  from the  viaduct and there are flowers  left  in memory of the people  who have died.

The 4 of us at the north end

Geoff setting up his camera for a 12 sec delayed pic.

Ike

Geoff

Ike & Rob

Geoff at the entrance on the south end.

Geoff coming down from the viaduct.

After a good walk along the viaduct we got back to the Erewash Canal and carried on up to Shipley Gate.

Breakfast stop

Just look at the state of that roof

Dont know who he is

This is going to be a cracking home when its been refurbished.

Primroses

We came across this race car track for remote control cars and they were flying over the jumps.
Its obviously a proper club and looks really well organised.

Footbridge over whats left of the Nottingham Canal

Nottingham canal towpath

This chap turned out to be an expert in the local railway system and does talks and walks on the subject.

Bennerley Viaduct from the Nottingham Canal towpath

This was a cracking walk 6 1/2 miles and the highlight was the Bennerley Viaduct. The morning started off quite cool then quickly warmed up.
I'll be missing next week taking my grandson Morgan to football.
See you soon
Cheers