Norbury Viaduct

Along the Mole Gap Trail…

19^th Century engineering meets picturesque landscape.

At this point on the trail you walk under a railway viaduct just before the railway line goes into a tunnel on its way to Dorking. The story of the construction of the line is an interesting one. At the heart of the Park is Norbury Park House. In the mid-19^th Century, when the railway line was being constructed, the owner of the house was one Thomas Grissell. He was concerned at the impact the new railway would have on his estate and the spectacular views from the house. But he had two importance cards under his sleeve: he was an engineer who knew a bit about railway construction and he owned land over which the railway needed access. The price for his support was decorative buildings and other above-ground structures (a number of which are now listed), the undergrounding of the section of line you are passing, and the requirement that any trains stop at Box Hill Station at his request.