The Bristol Railway Archive

I've always been keen on "then and now" railway books, Mac Hawkins' being the gold standard IMHO.
Here's my attempt at a "now" version of Ian Tiley's terrific photo of the long-demolished viaduct at Eastville, the first picture on the "13 Arches Viaduct" page here.
The M32 now bisects the scene, but it's surprising how many points of reference have survived.

Gary

Wow! That is superbly done! Did you print off the photo and take it with you when you went to get the shot?

Yes, I managed to figure out from Google Earth (and, later on, Live Local) that the original must have been taken from the hillside above Tackley Road, so I printed it out and tried to find the precise spot. I still don't think I hit it exactly, though.

Gary,

The link doesn't seem to work.

gary make sure you click the word "here" this works for me.

By the way are you going to do any more, i hope so.

Amazing how it disappeared...One of my customers would not believe that the line went across there, had to show him the webite as proof!Given me an idea for shots I can post now..........

Horace, there's a limit to what you can sensibly get out of "now" versions when there's no trace of the railway left.

For example, this is the rather uninspiring present-day Cottrell Road view, showing only trees (on the traffic island abutting the M32 J2 roundabout) where once the viaduct stood.

Some of the other views are difficult to obtain now because of 40 years' tree growth. Maybe if we get a sunny day this winter...

Thanks for the 'now' version of the 13 arches.

Ian kindly prompted me tonight.

I remember going along on the photographic trips Doug Tiley (my father) made of the 13 arches.

We used to live just a few minutes walking distance away from the arches.

I have resized the images and uploaded them on to my sons webspace so you can now visually have an instant comparism. (see below)



The M32 motorway was the prime reason for the demolition.

now you put this together with baggie birds disseratation needs and there are many questions that he could be asking about this alone.
I never understand why the arches was demolished, there was a perfectlly good alignment going through two of the arches. The 1965 book issued by the city council showing the road proposels for bristol actually shows it going through the arches. Of course this is the same book that showed proposals for a fly over up west street bedminster, led to the demolition of half of totterdown and lots of other nonsensicle things that happened at that time. Baggie bird should try and get hold of a copy of that book. it should be in the library.