Campaigners Oppose Plans For 190-Year-Old North Cumbrian Railway Bridge.
Campaigners are urging Network Rail to reconsider plans for a historic railway bridge in north Cumbria, warning that proposed fencing could damage the appearance and heritage of the 190-year-old structure.
The proposals concern Cowran Bridge, which forms part of a historic group of railway structures on the Newcastle-Carlisle line near How Mill, east of Carlisle. The bridge, together with Cowran Cutting and Skellion Bridge, was designated Grade II listed in November 2025. The structures date from 1836 and were part of one of the largest civil engineering projects undertaken during the construction of the Newcastle and Carlisle railway.
One of Cowran Bridge's stone approach walls collapsed in July 2023, leaving a large amount of sandstone masonry on the railway embankment. Network Rail is proposing to replace the collapsed period wall with galvanised palisade fencing. Campaigners, however, say the fencing would be inappropriate for the historic setting and are calling instead for the collapsed wall to be rebuilt using stone.
The Cowran Group campaign has also called for the three remaining approach walls to be repaired and conserved, alongside a conservation-led approach to work within Cowran Cutting. Campaigner Graeme Bickerdike said the bridge was an important heritage asset from the pioneering period of railway construction and argued that repairs should be carried out in a way that respects its historic character.
He criticised the proposed fencing as an unsuitable intervention in the rural landscape and urged Network Rail to reconsider its approach. The historic structures date back to the early development of the Newcastle and Carlisle line. Engineer Francis Giles originally planned a 740-yard tunnel through the Cowran Hills, but unstable ground conditions led to the construction of a huge open cutting instead.
Around one million cubic yards of material was excavated to create the cutting, which reaches approximately 110 feet in depth. Network Rail has defended its proposal, saying the fencing would provide a safe and operationally acceptable solution while allowing the railway to continue operating safely.
The company said ground investigations had found that rebuilding the wall in masonry would present significant engineering difficulties because of the steep embankment and limited available space. According to Network Rail, rebuilding the wall to modern standards would require substantial new foundations.
The company also said the collapsed wall itself is not part of the listed structure, meaning Listed Building Consent is not required for the proposed fencing. Network Rail said it recognised the heritage significance of Cowran Bridge but also needed to consider safety, engineering requirements and value for money when deciding how the site should be repaired.
The campaign group has claimed that Cumberland Council has also raised concerns about the fencing proposal, although the council had not confirmed its position at the time of publication. Campaigners are continuing to seek support for their alternative approach, including asking for the collapsed wall to be reconstructed in stone and the surviving historic walls to be conserved.
The group also plans to ask The Georgian Group to consider the Cowran Group for its 2026 Top 10 Buildings at Risk list. The dispute highlights the challenge of balancing railway safety, engineering requirements and heritage conservation at historic railway sites.
For campaigners, preserving the original character of Cowran Bridge is essential to protecting an important part of north Cumbria's railway history. Network Rail, meanwhile, says its proposed solution is designed to provide the necessary level of safety while taking account of the difficult engineering conditions at the site. The future of the collapsed approach wall and the surrounding historic structures will now remain a point of discussion as the plans progress.
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