The famous victorian engineer Brunel was responsible for the building of Cornwall’s main railway network culminating in his magnificent bridge over the river Tamar which connects Cornwall and Devon. This opened in 1859 and is still in use today. Elsewhere, to save money, he utilised timber viaducts to overcome Cornwall’s rugged landscape. Over 60 miles of railway he constructed 43 bridges. Eventually though the timber proved difficult to maintain and had to be replaced. Rather than disrupt the railway it was decided to build completely new stone viaducts alongside and then remove the original timbers. The old granite piers were left in situ and many can still be seen along the railway. They are referred to as ‘Brunel’s stumps’. The branch line from Truro to Falmouth which is where this photo was taken wasn’t in fact completed until 1863, well after Brunel’s demise.
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