Best of all, Ouse Valley Viaduct is just an hour away from London.
I’ll be candid with you, most of our day trip recommendations aren’t focused solely on the ‘gram – they’re just partially so. However, every now and then, we happen upon a spot so perfectly photogenic that it seems as if it was put on this earth to rake in the likes, waiting patiently for years until the social media moment arrived. Such is the case with Ouse Valley Viaduct; whilst it’s a fabulous day out for trainspotters, it’s become much more popular in recent years as a shooting location for wanderlusting Instagrammers.
Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game. Lying a mere hour’s car ride away from Central London, Ouse Valley Viaduct is almost hypnotically beautiful. That’s true from pretty much every angle, although it’s one particular shot which draws the snap-happy crowd here (we’ll get to that in a bit). If you’ve ever taken the train from London to Brighton, you’ll have passed over the viaduct, which sits between Haywards Heath and Balcombe, and commands sweeping views of the bucolic Ouse Valley. Trains have passed over the viaduct since 1841, and whilst it’s had its fair share of repair work done over the years, the Grade-II listed structure still stands proudly today.
It’s known as one of the most elegant viaducts in the country, and is certainly a treat for fans of British railways. However, whilst some may take pictures from hills or from the air, those with a keen eye for a winning shot head down to ground level, to perch amongst the vaulted brick arches. This, dear friends, is where the photoshoots happen.
Ouse Valley Viaduct owes its popularity to the semi-circles which support the arches at top and bottom. Originally designed as a weight-saving measure, they’ve had a new life since the dawn of social media, as punters regularly make a pilgrimage to sit upon the lower curves – the viaduct stretching off into infinity behind them, creating a trompe l’œil which immediately draws the eye. It caters for a wide range of photoshoots; for instance, you’ve got your eye-achingly romantic shots…
…moody, contemplative staring into the distance shots…
…the odd high-fashion pose…
…and just occasionally, something a little more active!
Some eleven million bricks – mostly shipped over from the Netherlands – went into the construction of the Ouse Valley Viaduct, and the mesmeric red brick, repeating seemingly ad infinitum, is an architectural wonder. And whilst Instagram may have its own particular favourite angle, I think it’s fair to say that Ouse Valley Viaduct really doesn’t have a bad side…
Find it at Borde Hill Lane, Haywards Heath, RH17 6QP.