On Friday I did the first two street level walks of Duddeston Viaduct accompanied by an invited guest.

At lunch time I met with Bob Ghosh of K4 Architects (who have already been looking at what could be done with the Viaduct here). We talked about the structure, its oddities, and how it seems to work as a framing device - creating vistas through its arches and influencing the shapes and sight-lines of buildings.

In the afternoon I walked the route with Pete Ashton. Pete is, amongst other things, a photographer, tour guide and teacher. Pete’s view was practically opposite of Bob’s. Where Bob saw potential for change - for developing the Viaduct and making it into an accessible and useful space, Pete wanted to leave it wild. As he pointed out, the top of the Viaduct had been pretty much untouched for over a hundred years.The plants, trees and any animals that have made it their home have done so in a completely natural way. Perhaps it should be preserved? - or as Pete pointed out, even preservation requires some human interaction - it should just be left as it is.

Both guests remarked upon the apparent invisibility of the structure - how it has become part of the everyday landscape and in many cases ignored.

Next week I’ll be meeting two more guests to walk the route and see where the conversation takes us. These conversations will be used to create content for ‘Viaduct’, a special one-off publication about the Duddeston Viaduct designed to raise awareness of this amazing structure.

Posted by Rich
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