Chelfham Viaduct and Railway: Railway 200 Open Day

At the heart of the event will be the first-of-its-kind public opening of the Viaduct for the weekend. With views from the top across the Valley below, it promises to offer a spectacular and unique view of the Devonshire landscape that embraces it.  

‘Railway 200’ is a year-long nationwide partnership-led campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspire a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail. It invites community, rail and other groups to get involved.

About Chelfham 

Chelfham Viaduct is the largest narrow-gauge viaduct in England: it stands at 70ft tall and is 400ft long.  

The Lynton-Barnstaple Railway line ran across the top of the structure from circa 1896 until it closed in 1935.  

It was designed by Engineer F.W. Chanter and is comprised of yellow brick with rock-faced plinths to the piers. More than a quarter of a million bricks were used in its construction, with a cost of around £6,500.  

Close to the structure is the former station, which consists of a waiting room and booking hall that has been restored to its former glory of the 1920s. This structure is owned by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Community Interest Company and will be available for visitors to experience. 

About the partners 

The event brings together partners working for the benefit of the Chelfham Valley, including: 

Historical Railways Estate: The Historical Railways Estate, part of National Highways, has a large stake in the railway’s history, looking after over 3,100 former railway structures – including bridges, tunnels, and viaducts across the country.  

We currently own Chelfham Viaduct, which is usually closed to the public, and we’re delighted to open it up for the community to learn more about its history and future, plus our approach to caring for and managing the Historical Railways Estate. 

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway: The organisation has a long-term goal of restoring the railway. They will be supporting the event with an educational talk about the history of the railway line, with volunteers on hand to answer your questions.   

Visitors can also experience the opening of The Chelfham Valley Heritage Hub (at The Growforward Project) — a not-for-profit joint endeavour on the Chelfham Mill site beneath the viaduct, which is becoming a hospitality, heritage and wellbeing destination.  

Event details 

Location: Chelfham Viaduct, Barnstaple EX31 4RP

Date/time: There will be an opening ceremony at 12pm on Saturday 17 May, with the viaduct closing at 5pm. On Sunday 18 May, the viaduct will be open from 10am-4pm.  

There will be a visible assembly point at the Chelfham station building at 11.45pm on Saturday for those attending the ceremony. 

Car parking/transport: There are car parking spaces for up to 60 vehicles available at the Growforward car park, which is situated a two-minute walk from the viaduct. Car sharing is advised. There is public transport to the site via the 310 bus from Barnstaple Station, which runs hourly on Saturdays and once on Sunday at 11.40am.

Facilities: There will be toilet facilities on site.  

Please note: There will be filming/photography taking place. If you’re interested in being filmed about your experience of the event, volunteers are welcome to put themselves forward.  

Please wear appropriate footwear for the terrain, which is grass/gravel and with slopes and gradients to navigate 

This is a free event, but you are required to book a ticket via the link below.