The Hownsgill Viaduct (also called Hownes Gill Viaduct) is a Victorian railway viaduct that crosses the steep Howns Gill ravine about two kilometres west of Consett. Built in 1858 to carry the Stanhope and Tyne Railway, it has twelve arches and stands over 30 metres above the gill — a confident piece of Victorian engineering in a landscape that suddenly opens up around it. The original railway is long gone, and the viaduct now forms part of the C2C cycle route (Sustrans route 7), which runs from Whitehaven or Workington on the Cumbrian coast to Sunderland or Newcastle.
The approach from Consett follows the old railway trackbed, making for an easy flat walk or cycle. The viaduct itself is open to pedestrians and cyclists — riding or walking across it, with the ravine falling away below, is one of the better moments on the C2C route. The surrounding area is managed heathland with views toward the Derwent Valley.