Torksey
| Torksey | |
 Torksey Lock slipway |
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  Torksey |
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| Population | 551 (2001) |
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| OS grid reference | SK837786 |
| – London | 130 mi (210 km) S |
| District | West Lindsey |
| Shire county | Lincolnshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LINCOLN |
| Postcode district | LN1 |
| Police | Lincolnshire |
| Fire | Lincolnshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) |
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Coordinates: 53°17′55″N 0°44′43″W / 53.298604°N 0.745252°W
Torksey is a small village in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A156 road, 7 miles (11 km) south of Gainsborough and 9 miles (14 km) north-west of the city of Lincoln, and on the eastern bank of the tidal River Trent, which here forms the boundary with Nottinghamshire. It is notable for Torksey Castle and Torksey Viaduct.
History
The Grade II* listed railway viaduct over the Trent remains but it is no longer in use. The now Grade I listed 16th-century Torksey Castle was destroyed in August 1645 during the English Civil War; its remains are on the river side of the dike which separates it from dry land. Both are on the Buildings at Risk Register.
The Roman Foss Dyke canal joins the River Trent by way of a series of lock-gates about half a mile (800 m) south of the village.
Torksey Viaduct
Torksey Viaduct has two 130 feet (40 m) spans across the River Trent.[1] It was built between 1847 and 1849 to carry the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (Clarborough Junction-Sykes Junction branch). It is of unusual design and is regarded as the first box girder bridge.[2] It was designed by John Fowler, who had been influenced by Fairbairn and Stephenson's tubular bridges at Conwy and the Menai Straits. The unconventional tubular girder bridge was not initially accepted. After completion, it was rejected by the Board of Trade's inspector John Simmons and the design was also criticised by the Institute of Civil Engineers.[3][4] The bridge was strengthened in 1897 by adding a more conventional central truss above the deck rather than by strengthening the box.[4]
Sustrans has carried out work on the viaduct in preparation for opening it as a walk/cycle-way[5] They obtained planning permission in 2015 for the paths, which Sustrans aims to link as a walking and cycling route to connect the quiet roads east of Torksey with those west of Cottam, a village about 1.2 miles (2 km) to the west.[6]
References
- ↑ Tatraskoda. "John Fowler's Viaduct at Torksey". Flickr.
- ↑ "Torksey Bridge".
- ↑ Chrimes, Mike (1991). Civil Engineering 1839-1889. Alan Sutton Publishing. pp. 37–38. ISBN 1-84015-008-4.
- 1 2 "Torksey Viaduct". www.forgottenrelics.co.uk. Forgotten Relics.
- ↑ Sustrans Torksey Bridge page
- ↑ Scunthorpe Telegraph 11 March 2015 'Landmark railway viaduct to become public walkway'
External links
Media related to Torksey at Wikimedia Commons- Historic England. "Castle - Grade I (197040)". Images of England.
- Historic England. "Railway viaduct - Grade II* (197041)". Images of England.
- Heritage at Risk: Torksey
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