Smardale Viaduct sweeps across the secluded valley of Smardale Gill, its fourteen sandstone arches rising above Scandal Beck in one of the most dramatic railway landscapes along the Coast to Coast.

Built in the nineteenth century for the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway, the viaduct once carried trains through this remote Cumbrian valley. The railway has long since disappeared, but its magnificent stone structure remains, now surrounded by the woodland, limestone grassland and rich wildlife of Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve.

This photograph captures the viaduct within the landscape that makes it so memorable: Scandal Beck winding through the valley below, steep fellside rising on either side and the long procession of arches disappearing beneath a brooding Cumbrian sky.

A striking reminder of how Victorian engineering and the wild landscape of Smardale have become inseparable.

Hiking the Coast to Coast is a digitally enhanced eBook designed to accompany you on your journey along the Coast to Coast path. Available on Apple Books for iPhone, iPad and Mac, the guide includes:
• Mapping with interactive features
• Step-by-step route directions
• Hundreds of colour photographs
• Route conditions in different weather
• Historical and cultural points of interest

Whether you’re planning your trip or already on the trail, it’s a practical and beautifully illustrated resource to carry with you.