[2] It lay in a steep-sided valley running from north to south, created by the Wellesbourne river (by then, reduced to an intermittently flowing, mostly underground winterbourne).

Local opinion favoured an embankment, and he faced opposition and criticism when he chose to build a viaduct.

By the 1870s, dense terraced housing surrounded the viaduct: residential development was stimulated by the opening of the railway.

[7][2] Brighton's most significant bombing raid of the Second World War severely damaged London Road Viaduct.

[9] Despite this, a temporary repair allowed trains to start using the viaduct again within 24 hours;[6] in less than a month, the service was back to normal.

[2] Until the arches were fully repaired in September 1943, however, a 15 mph (24 km/h) speed restriction was enforced and Preston Road could be seen through the gaps between the sleepers where the brickwork had been blasted away.

[14] As of 2009, 174 scheduled passenger trains (87 eastbound[15] and 87 westbound[16]), all operated by Southern, cross the viaduct each weekday.