demolished. Instead the viaduct became a listed building, and British Rail offered £230,000 (the estimated cost of demolition) towards its restoration. A charitable trust, the Northern Viaduct Trust was formed in 1989. The cost of repairs was £350,000 which included masonry repair, a new deck and waterproofing, and structural work to the viaduct. In 1992 the restoration was complete, the viaduct being subsequently used for pedestrian access to Smardale Gill nature reserve. In 2010 after a harsh winter it was found that the viaduct had frost damage and required a further £30,000 of repairs. Smardale Viaduct was built by the contractors Benton & Woodiwiss for the Settle to Carlisle Line of the Midland Railway. The viaduct is long and high, the highest on the line. Over of stone was used in its construction. Local limestone was used for its construction, the arch quoins were of millstone grit. Two of the twelve piers – the fourth and the tenth are of considerably heavier construction. The bridge opened in August 1875 having taken five years to construct, it crosses both Scandal Beck and the former Stainmore railway line. See also Listed buildings in Waitby References Sources External links Cumbria County History Trust: Smardale (nb: provisional research only – see Talk page) Smardale gill Limestone Quarry www.mine-explorer.co.uk Images from grid NY7206 Smardale Gill and surroundings, www.geograph.org.uk Images from grid NY7308 Smardale village and surroundings www.geograph.org.uk Smardale Viaduct www.visitcumbria.com Smardale Gill Viaduct www.forgottenrelics.co.uk Villages in Cumbria Former civil parishes in Cumbria Eden District Lime kilns in England