Why tinsleyviaduct.com?

A question I have been asked regularly is "Why tinsleyviaduct.com?" so in this page I intend to explain why.

tinsleyviaduct.com is named after Tinsley Viaduct, a wonder of modern engineering in the West Riding of Yorkshire. (Note: This is a geographical area which, unlike the administrative Metropolitan County of South Yorkshire, cannot be changed by a Local Government act. Please see The Association of British Counties web site for more information on geographical and administrative counties.) It is a two-deck road bridge, the lower deck carrying the A631, the upper deck carrying the M1, past much of the industrial (or at least formerly so) area of the city of Sheffield. It is only a few miles from where I was born.

I took a trip to Tinsley in 2001 to take some photographs to accompany this text. I have presented them below, as thumbnails which you can click to retrieve the full-size version of the picture.

News has reached me recently that the Highways Agency plans to widen the M1 between junction 29 (Chesterfield) and junction 42 (Lofthouse). The number of lanes of M1 on each carriageway over Tinsley Viaduct (junction 34) was reduced to two per carriageway some time ago – will they put it back to three as they make the rest four lanes? The viaduct will likely need strengthening if so, as the reduction to two lanes was done to reduce the load to bring it within standards. To make it wider, although it would be a good idea, would mean getting the M1 through here some other way – a new viaduct? I'll keep you posted with whatever I hear. The plan also includes widening the M62 between its junctions 24 and 27. I wonder if they will be making improvements to junction 42 of the M1... it really is an awful junction, although much improved in recent years.

I arrived in Tinsley by tram, at this tramstop, still bearing these signs with the South Yorkshire Supertram company's name for the stop. Stagecoach, who now run the trams, call this stop simply "Tinsley".

Tinsley tramstop

Most people who photographed Tinsley Viaduct during this period included one shot with the two cooling towers, and I am no exception. Shot from the tramstop.

Tinsley Viaduct as seen from the tramstop

Still on the tramstop, but this time looking back towards Sheffield, I took this more unusual shot. On the right is a bridge, connecting the tramstop with the canal towpath. It is rather steep, so negotiating it in a wheelchair was great fun.

Tinsley Viaduct and bridge to towpath

Once on the footbridge, it is possible to get some more views, of course. This one shows some traffic on the A631.

Traffic on the bottom deck of Tinsley Viaduct

The cooling towers and a pylon dominate this picture, also taken from the footbridge.

Tinsley Viaduct with towers and pylon

Onto the towpath, which, as this picture shows, passes right underneath the viaduct.

Canal towpath going under Tinsley Viaduct

Another shot, also from the towpath, shows the vertical railings at the side of the A631.

Railings on Tinsley Viaduct

Hard to resist taking the odd weird shot, this one was actually taken underneath the viaduct. The bases of the towers can be seen on the right.

Underneath Tinsley Viaduct

The last photo of the viaduct itself, taken from the other side.

The other side of Tinsley Viaduct

On reaching the lock, I could see the towers through the trees.

The towers from the other side

Crossing the bridge on the way back, I decided to take a photograph of the other major landmark in the area, formerly the site of a number of steelworks, including Ambrose Shardlow. It is now the Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

Meadowhall

Finally, back to the tramstop where I took this picture of a cable support. I am not sure whether this is South Yorkshire Supertram company labelling or Stagecoach, but Tinsley was among the first stops to open.

Tramway pole

As you may be aware, the towers were demolished at 03:00 on 24 August 2008. The towers were known as the salt and pepper pots, or Bill and Ben, and were all that was left of the old Blackburn Meadows power station. E.On funded a souvenir book of the life of the station and a set of postcards based on historical images of the site, and I am pleased to say that the funds raised by the sale of these will be going to good causes in Sheffield and Rotherham. The towers, however, will be missed – it won't seem quite the same driving that section of the M1 any more.

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