The published Great Northern Railway Trail crosses the viaduct. Follow its marked route and any local closures. Other former railway structures are not automatically open.
Check the official visitor information ↗ · checked 2026-09-13
Use public paths and visitor areas. Do not enter unstaffed tunnels, shafts, railway land or restricted property.
Advice before you visitInformation checked 2026-09-13. We checked published records and visitor information. No site visit or direct confirmation from the operator.
The story of this place
Thornton Viaduct was built around 1876–1878. Historic England describes twenty sandstone arches supported on narrowing piers. The crossing has an unusual S-shaped curve, highlighted in the published trail information.
The former railway route now forms part of the Great Northern Railway Trail. Its new use allows people to cross the valley on a structure originally built for trains, rather than seeing it only from the ground below.
- Historic England — Thornton Railway Viaduct ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
What you can see
Bradford Council and Sustrans include the viaduct in their trail leaflet. Use the marked route and connections to plan your walk or cycle ride, including where the trail joins ordinary roads.
The leaflet is not a live source of closures or surface conditions. Follow local signs and do not continue along other former railway sections without a confirmed public route. Nearby land, tunnels and gaps in the old line may have different access arrangements.
- Historic England — Thornton Railway Viaduct ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
- Bradford Council / Sustrans — Great Northern Railway Trail ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
What we still need to check
The trail leaflet is older information. We have not checked today’s surface or temporary closures; follow current local signs.
Sources for the visiting information
- Bradford Council / Sustrans — Great Northern Railway Trail ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
About the original record
This place is recorded by Historic England / Planning Data. The details below include the original description of its building or site type.
Some historic railway structures still carry trains. Being in this category does not mean a line is closed or open for walking.
Place details
- Category
- Lost railways & rail heritage
- Building or site type (original wording)
- THORNTON RAILWAY VIADUCT
- Period or date
- About 1876–1878
- Current condition
- Not checked in person
- Heritage protection
- II
- Date protection was granted
- 1982-01-08
- Nearby town
- Bradford (approximate)
- County named in the original record
- Not supplied
- Current county or council area
- Bradford
- Nation
- England
- Original record number
- 1151855
- Coordinates
- 53.788737, -1.85574 (reference point, not an entrance)
- Heritage data checked
- 2026-09-13
- Source last updated
- 2026-09-12
- Visitor information checked
- 2026-09-13
We checked the downloaded heritage record on 2026-09-13. We have not visited or inspected the site. The map point may refer to a whole site, one structure or a location where little remains.