Laigh Milton Viaduct
| Laigh Milton Viaduct | |
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Laigh Milton Viaduct in East Ayrshire over the River Irvine
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| Coordinates | 55°35′56″N 4°34′02″W / 55.59882°N 4.56719°WCoordinates: 55°35′56″N 4°34′02″W / 55.59882°N 4.56719°W |
| Carries | Traffic suspended |
| Crosses | River Irvine |
| Locale | Laigh Milton mill at Gatehead in East Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Official name | Laigh Milton Viaduct |
| Maintained by | East Ayrshire Council |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | William Jessop |
| Total length | 270 ft (82.3 m) long by 19 ft (5.8 m) wide. |
| Longest span | 40 ft (12.2 m) span with piers 9 ft (2.7 m) wide. |
| History | |
| Opened | 1812 |
Laigh Milton Viaduct is a railway viaduct near Laigh Milton mill to the west of Gatehead in East Ayrshire, Scotland, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Kilmarnock. It is probably the world's earliest surviving railway viaduct on a public railway, and the earliest known survivor of a type of multi-span railway structure subsequently adopted universally.
The viaduct was restored in 1995-96 and is a Category A listed structure since 1982. It bridges the River Irvine which forms the boundary between East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.
It was built for the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, opened in 1812; the line was a horse drawn plateway (although locomotive traction was tried later). The first viaduct was closed in 1846 when the railway line was realigned to ease the sharp curve for locomotive operation, and a wooden bridge was built a little to the south to carry the realigned route. This was in turn replaced by a third structure further south again, which carries trains at the present day.
The first viaduct was constructed as part of the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, which opened on 6 July 1812. It is located at National Grid Reference NS 3834 3690.
It was built with four segmental arches of 12.3 m (40 feet) span, and a rise of one-third span; the voussoirs were 610 mm (24 inches) thick. The railway was carried about 8 m (25 feet) above the river surface.
The arches were of local freestone with sandstone ashlar facings and rounded cutwaters: these were later extended to form semi-circular buttresses. Built in 1811 - 1812, it is the oldest surviving railway viaduct in Scotland. and one of the oldest in the world.
It is about 82 m (270 ft) long by 5.8 m (19 ft) wide over all. The piers are 9 ft (2.7 m) wide. Photographs taken prior to the recent restoration show the viaduct without parapets, and there is no evidence that these were provided.
The engineer for the whole line was William Jessop, and the resident engineer was Thomas Hollis, and he was probably allowed considerable autonomy by Jessop. The stonemason was probably John Simpson, who had been extensively employed by Jessop at Ardrossan and on the Caledonian Canal.
Hollis was refused permission to dismantle part of the mill dam to lower water level for pier construction, and "in July 1809 he was authorized to proceed by means of a cofferdam, involving 'very little more expense', with the advantage that 'the stones for the bridge can be floated down on a punt'."
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