During July 1837, an Act of Parliament was passed which gave the London & Brighton Railway company assent to construct its proposed railway line between London and the south coast.
The route selected, which was surveyed by a team headed by Sir John Rennie, was fairly direct but had the downside of crossing over some relatively hilly terrain.
As a consequence of a decision to limit gradients along the line to 1 in 264, the construction of a total of four tunnels and a single viaduct, the latter crossing the Ouse Valley between Balcombe and Haywards Heath in West Sussex, was necessary.

Construction of the new line commenced during July 1838; work to build the ornate viaduct began during the following year.
It was designed by the principal engineer for the line, John Urpeth Rastrick, in association with the architect of the London to Brighton railway, David Mocatta.
The contractor appointed for its construction was Benjamin Baylis.
The total cost of the viaduct's construction reportedly came to £38,500 (equivalent to about £3.6 million in 2016).

The viaduct was designed as a relatively elegant structure, being around 1,600 feet (500 m) in length and carrying a straight line over 37 identical arches.
Each of these semi-circular arches had a span of 30 feet (9.1 m) and was supported upon tapered red brick piers.
Each pier was almost divided into two separate halves by 9.8-foot (3 m) vertical voids, capped by semi-circular rings at the top and base, as a weight-saving measure.
This approach is credited with giving the structure a relatively slender appearance.
The foundations of each pier is provided with two courses of inclined footings, which have a total depth of just over 3 feet 3 inches (1 m).

In terms of its composition, the viaduct is largely composed of traditional red bricks and smooth limestone.
The contrast between the two materials effectively highlights the deck and upper elements of the structure to the observer, although the limestone has been subjected to considerable weathering and staining since its original installation.
Elements of both the brickwork and the limestone have been replaced over time in order to maintain the structure's integrity, extend its operational life, and to restore its appearance to better resemble its earlier state.
At its highest point, the Ouse Valley Viaduct is 96 feet (29.3 m) above the river crossing beneath it.

In the process of constructing the viaduct, it has been estimated that around 11 million bricks, many of which had been shipped across the English Channel from the Netherlands to Newhaven and Lewes in addition to some locally produced bricks, had been used for the structure.
Furthermore, Caen stone was also brought from Normandy in France; this material was used for the classically balustraded parapets, string courses, pier caps and the four small rectangular Italianate pavilions.
Building materials were transported to the construction site on barges up the Ouse River Navigation.
At each end of the abutment is an ornamental square open tower, the brickwork of which is faced with stone from Heddon Quarries near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
During July 1837, an Act of Parliament was passed which gave the London & Brighton Railway company assent to construct its proposed railway line between London and the south coast. The route selected, which was surveyed by a team headed by Sir John Rennie, was fairly direct but had the downside of crossing over some relatively hilly terrain. As a consequence of a decision to limit gradients along the line to 1 in 264, the construction of a total of four tunnels and a single viaduct, the latter crossing the Ouse Valley between Balcombe and Haywards Heath in West Sussex, was necessary.
Construction of the new line commenced during July 1838; work to build the ornate viaduct began during the following year. It was designed by the principal engineer for the line, John Urpeth Rastrick, in association with the architect of the London to Brighton railway, David Mocatta. The contractor appointed for its construction was Benjamin Baylis. The total cost of the viaduct's construction reportedly came to £38,500 (equivalent to about £3.6 million in 2016).
The viaduct was designed as a relatively elegant structure, being around 1,600 feet (500 m) in length and carrying a straight line over 37 identical arches. Each of these semi-circular arches had a span of 30 feet (9.1 m) and was supported upon tapered red brick piers. Each pier was almost divided into two separate halves by 9.8-foot (3 m) vertical voids, capped by semi-circular rings at the top and base, as a weight-saving measure. This approach is credited with giving the structure a relatively slender appearance. The foundations of each pier is provided with two courses of inclined footings, which have a total depth of just over 3 feet 3 inches (1 m).
In terms of its composition, the viaduct is largely composed of traditional red bricks and smooth limestone. The contrast between the two materials effectively highlights the deck and upper elements of the structure to the observer, although the limestone has been subjected to considerable weathering and staining since its original installation. Elements of both the brickwork and the limestone have been replaced over time in order to maintain the structure's integrity, extend its operational life, and to restore its appearance to better resemble its earlier state. At its highest point, the Ouse Valley Viaduct is 96 feet (29.3 m) above the river crossing beneath it.
In the process of constructing the viaduct, it has been estimated that around 11 million bricks, many of which had been shipped across the English Channel from the Netherlands to Newhaven and Lewes in addition to some locally produced bricks, had been used for the structure. Furthermore, Caen stone was also brought from Normandy in France; this material was used for the classically balustraded parapets, string courses, pier caps and the four small rectangular Italianate pavilions. Building materials were transported to the construction site on barges up the Ouse River Navigation. At each end of the abutment is an ornamental square open tower, the brickwork of which is faced with stone from Heddon Quarries near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Ouse Valley Viaduct