Talk:Healey Dell Viaduct

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Healey Dell lies at the southern end of the Whitworth Valley. The River Spodden flows through the Dell and has carved its way through the deep valley floor. The Dell itself is a place of outstanding natural beauty and has significant importance to the locals and is now primarily used as a recreational area for local people. Whitworth is a former cotton town which has dwindled in population since the closure of its cotton mills during the 1960's and 1970's. The Dell provided a pathway for mill workers who regularly used it to walk to work in Rochdale during the middle of the 20th century and a number of bridges across the River Spodden (which still exist today) were constructed and are often referred to as fairy bridges. A prominent feature of Healey Dell is the Railway Viaduct Bridge which stands 150Ft above the River Spodden. Built from local quarried stone, it has 8 arches of 30ft span. The first part of this railway line was completed in Facit in 1870. The main function of the line was to transport stone from local quarries. The railway also ferried people to and from the area and during the latter half of the 19th century there were approximately 20 mills employing around 4000 people between Healey and Shawforth.Brent Cutler (talk) 15:00, 6 July 2008 (UTC)