Thornhill Lees & Saville Town Railway Viaduct

This video explores the remains of a former Midland Railway route at Headfield Road, near Thornhill Lees and Dewsbury in West Yorkshire. One of the most striking surviving structures is the Savile Town Viaduct, which carried the railway over the Dewsbury Arm (also known as Savile Cut) of the Calder and Hebble Navigation. The line formed part of the Midland Railway’s route from Royston Junction towards Dewsbury and Savile Town. It opened on 1 March 1906 and included a connection with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway near Thornhill. Originally planned as part of a much larger Midland Railway scheme that would have provided an alternative route towards Bradford (avoiding the congested lines around Leeds), the bigger project was abandoned after the company gained running powers over other routes. What remained was a short goods branch serving the extensive Savile Town goods yard in Dewsbury. The branch continued in use for freight until it closed on 18 December 1950. More than 75 years later, sections of the route and several structures, including this viaduct over Headfield Road and the canal, still survive as a tangible reminder of a railway that was meant for greater things but spent its working life serving the industrial heart of Savile Town. A quiet piece of West Yorkshire railway history, still standing today. If you enjoy exploring forgotten railways, abandoned infrastructure, and local industrial history, feel free to like, comment, and subscribe for more. #forgottenrailway #midlandrailway #saviletownviaduct #calderandhebble #dewsbury #thornhillees #westyorkshire #railwayhistory #abandonedrailway #disusedrailway #railwayarchaeology #industrialheritage #canalandrailway #calderandhebblenavigation #savilecut #goodsbranch #railwayviaduct #djiflip #dronefootage #ukrailways #britishrailways #yorkshirehistory #dewsburyhistory #railwayrelics #lostrailways #heritagerailway #industrialarchaeology #westyorks #railwaybridge #forgottenhistory