Essential repair work has started on an 1830 viaduct and crane gantry that were once at the heart of industrial Manchester and is now part of the city’s Science and Industry Museum.

This is one of the UK’s most significant heritage restoration projects currently in progress.

The viaduct and gantry are connected to the Power Hall, and show how a historic station was transformed into a busy goods depot.

During the multi-million-pound restoration programme, visitors can view engineering in action when scaffolding is erected around the gantry to allow the repair and conservation works to be carried out.

At the same time, the viaduct will be waterproofed using innovative solutions so that it is futureproof for years to come.

Funding for the work came from £14.2 million of capital funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for urgent repairs to the New Warehouse as well as the viaduct and gantry.

The Science and Industry Museum is situated on the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway. Liverpool Road Station opened in 1830 and was the Manchester terminus of the world’s first inter-urban railway which connected Manchester with Liverpool. The noted engineer George Stephenson designed both the railway and the Viaduct, which he built to overcome sloping land around Liverpool Road.

The Viaduct

Mostly hidden by the station’s buildings, the viaduct runs from the middle of the Power Hall out towards Water Street.

Water ingress has been an increasing problem, which has necessitated these urgent repairs and to protect it from an expected increase in rainfall over the coming years. To repair the Viaduct will require:

• Temporary removal of track and ballast so that museum staff can survey the extent of water damage and repair work needed.
• Drain the water currently trapped on the Viaduct.
• Apply a new waterproofing solution to future-proof the Viaduct.
• Relay the track to reflect the site’s original history as a working railway station.

The Gantry

The gantry was built during the 1880s to support travelling cranes transferring heavy goods between wagons.

It is 72 metres long and nearly 8 metres high and was constructed after the station had closed to passenger services and transformed into a goods station.

It is not statutorily listed, but as it lies within the curtilage of the Grade II listed Power Hall, it contributes to the museum’s historic setting.

To ensure the gantry remains structurally sound will require:

• Old paint and rust to be stripped off and areas impacted by water damage repaired.
• Carru out fundamental structural repairs to the metalwork, including infilling areas after the removal of rust and corrosion .
• Waterproofing to protect the gantry from further water damage.
• Installing new canopies above the southern end of the Gantry beam to divert rainwater.
• Adding drainage points into the crane beams to allow the escape of trapped water.
• Repainting the Gantry as protection against future corrosion and decay.

In further restoration work at the museum, Welsh slate will be used to restore the 140-year-old Grade II listed New Warehouse roof

We are so excited that another stage of the site’s multi-million-pound restoration project is underway. The gantry is an iconic structure in Castlefield’s skyline and we’re looking forward to repairing and restoring it for generations to come. The 1830 Viaduct also plays such an important part in telling the story of our historic site in connecting Manchester with the wider world.

This work may cause some disruption which we will try to keep to a minimum, but we hope visitors continue to enjoy visiting the museum where they can see live engineering and innovation in action as we continue to care for our historic site.

Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum

Being part of this significant restoration project at the Science and Industry Museum is a privilege for us. Contributing to the preservation of Manchester’s significant industrial heritage through the repair work on the iconic gantry and 1830 Viaduct is truly rewarding. This effort, alongside ongoing restoration work across the site, underscores our dedication to safeguarding historic landmarks for future generations. We look forward to seeing these structures restored to their former glory, standing as testaments to Manchester’s pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution.

Alex Scrimshaw of Buttress, an AJ100 design studio based in Manchester and Leeds, operating across the heritage, residential, education, ecclesiastical, commercial and art and culture sectors