Cannington Viaduct opens to public for heritage weekend
The special event on 19 and 20 September 2026 offered members of the public a rare opportunity to experience a remarkable piece of railway history first hand.
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Led by For the Love of a Railway, with support from the Historical Railways Estate team, the event celebrated the engineering, character and enduring legacy of one of the region's most impressive former railway structures.
Walking in the footsteps of history
Standing high above the Axe Valley, Cannington Viaduct in Lyme Regis has been a striking feature of the landscape for generations.
One of the highlights of the weekend was a series of guided walks to the viaduct. Accompanied by trained volunteer leaders, visitors followed a route from Uplyme Village Hall to the structure, discovering the history of the former railway and the role it once played in connecting communities across the area.
Participants had the opportunity to stand on top of the viaduct, take in sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, and experience the scale and craftsmanship of this impressive piece of Victorian engineering up close.
Bringing the railway's past to life
Uplyme Village Hall served as the event hub, hosting displays, archive material and a newly produced film exploring the history of the viaduct and the railway it once carried.
Visitors were also invited to share their own memories and connections to the line, helping to preserve the personal stories that form an important part of the railway's heritage and its place within the local community.
Following in Chelfham's footsteps
The event followed our first-ever viaduct open day at Chelfham Viaduct in 2025. Held as part of Railway 200, the nationwide celebration marking 200 years of the modern railway, the event welcomed around 2,000 visitors and demonstrated the strong public appetite for exploring historic railway structures at first hand.
Find out more about the Chelfham Viaduct open day.
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Organising an event of this scale requires significant planning and careful management to ensure visitors can enjoy the experience safely.
As a result, tickets were limited and demand was exceptional.
Interest in the event was so high that all tickets were allocated, with more than 1,000 visitors across the two days.
Here are some more images from the event:
