Visitor centre opens to the public

Bennerley Viaduct’s visitor centre and café was opened to the public on Saturday 18th July with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

The sunny weather provided pleasant conditions for members of the public, Friends of Bennerley Viaduct volunteers and a host of local politicians who attended the event, marking the end of a three year period of intense work on the heritage site.

The viaduct straddles the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, the two counties that form the EMCCA. Mayor Claire Ward described the viaduct and its new facilities as a symbol of renewal, and the people and communities involved in the project as beacons of hope for its future. The Mayor added that the tourism economy was an important factor in regenerating an area, and the viaduct would certainly play its part.

She was joined by local MPs Adam Thompson (Erewash) and Alex Norris (Nottingham North and Kimberley), James Dawson, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, and Councillor Barbara Carr, Mayor of Broxtowe. Andy Savage, Chair of the Railway Heritage Trust, an organisation which had given so much to the viaduct, also addressed the gathering.

Entertainment was provided by the Shirland Welfare Band who made a dramatic entrance, playing as they marched down the new ramp to take their place under the visitor centre pergola.

The new cafe began serving at midday, the cue for more walkers and cyclists to stream in from the Shilo Way end and across the viaduct from the Erewash Canal towpath. Musical entertainment continued into the afternoon with local folk band Pigeon Pie.

“There has been a massive combined effort to reach this point,” said Paul Baker, Operations Director. “Local authorities, donors, contractors, trustees, volunteers and our staff members, Hadley Trueman, Ian Lambert and Jordan Hazell have all played their part, and I thank them heartily. We have now entered a new era for the Bennerley Viaduct. We must ensure that we look after it for future generations, and the key to that is to make a success of this great opportunity we now have.”

The eastern ramp and the visitor centre were financed by Kimberley Means Business, managed by Broxtowe Borough Council.

A preview of the visitor centre was held on Friday 17 July for volunteers and supporters and was attended by Hugh Mclintock, a campaigner since the 1980s, Kieran Lee, FoBV’s first ranger, Paul Miller, founder member and Bill Tomson who masterminded the western ramp and deck project. The Eastwood Collieries’ Male Voice Choir provided the entertainment.

Planned opening hours for the café are Thursday – Sunday, 10:00 – 15:00, but visitors are recommended to check on social media before making plans.

Access by car is via Shilo Way (opposite Bennerley View housing development, near the new pedestrian crossing). Get there on foot, bike or mobility scooter from the Nottingham Canal path or by crossing the viaduct from the Erewash Canal near Stenson’s Lock.