The history of the viaduct
Leamington's viaducts carried trains for a century, then nothing for decades. This is the story so far.
The railway years
Built around 1844, at the height of the railway boom, Leamington's viaducts once carried goods and passengers through the town and on across the region. The brick and masonry arches were built to last, and they have.
Standing empty
Some of the town's lines are still running today, but these sections have stood empty for decades. There are five stretches of arches, running from Lower Avenue to the Victoria Business Centre, that most people in Leamington walk past without noticing.
What happens next
The plan is to put the arches back to work: five gardens in the sky, a traffic-free route across the town and a home for wildlife, taken on one viaduct at a time. The Vision shows what each stretch could become, and the project status on the home page says where things are up to.
Help us tell it properly
If you worked on these lines, grew up beside them, or have photographs or stories tucked away, we would be very glad to hear from you. Get in touch.