A viaduct near Harry Styles‘ home village has been protected from “well-meaning damage” caused by the pop star’s fans.
The Twemlow Viaduct, located just outside Holmes Chapel in Cheshire, is rumoured to be the location of Styles’ first kiss. It has become a shrine to the singer in recent years, with many ‘Harries’ having marked their names and other messages into the bricks.
Now, Network Rail has carried out some work at the 183-year-old Grade II listed structure in a bid to preserve it.
The company – which owns and manages some of Britain’s biggest and busiest railway stations – has installed a new ‘Harry’s Wall’ with blank panels, as an alternative place for fans to leave messages.
This will protect the Twemlow Viaduct’s ‘golden’ bricks from any possible “well-meaning damage” in the future. Network Rail has warned that the bride may sustain long-term damage if the artwork continues at its current rate.
Rob Stephens, Network Rail’s principal route engineer said: “Twemlow Viaduct is not only a historic railway structure that transports important passenger and freight services on the West Coast main line, but it also attracts people travelling far and wide to see it in person.
Introducing: Harry's Wall
Harry Styles fans have been visiting our 183-year-old Twemlow Viaduct in Holmes Chapel & leaving messages on the irreplaceable bricks.
We've built fans a new wall with blank panels to sign instead.
More: https://t.co/2838RgysOE pic.twitter.com/CNy95O989J
— Manchester Piccadilly (@NetworkRailMAN) August 29, 2024
“We understand how much the viaduct means to Harry Styles fans, but unfortunately some visitors are writing messages on its brickwork.”
Stephens continued: “To preserve the viaduct’s historic status and not spoil anyone’s fun, we have fitted an alternative wall to allow ‘Harries’ to continue to leave their messages of love and support.”
Peter Whiers, chair of Holmes Chapel Partnership, added: “We are delighted to see Network Rail recognise the attraction that Twemlow Viaduct has become by installing a new blank canvas that allows Harry Styles fans to express themselves creatively when visiting.
“This new wall is an important next step in both protecting the heritage of Twemlow Viaduct and continuing to raise the profile of Holmes Chapel on the tourist map for Cheshire.”
He concluded: “We are excited to see how fans react and take ownership of the wall over the coming weeks, while ensuring the viaduct remains a cherished landmark for future generations.”
The Twemlow Viaduct carries trains from Manchester to Crewe through Holmes Chapel on the busy West Coast Mainline. Check out a video of fans signing the new wall in the post above.
O FIM DE UMA ERA! Sendo a BBC, agora é proibido deixar mensagens no Twemlow Viaduct, uma tradição no fandom que começou pelo próprio Harry, em Holmes Chapel.
Mas, como uma alternativa para fãs continuarem deixando mensagens, foram instalados quadros ao redor! pic.twitter.com/iM8GvyM0z2
— Harry Styles Brasil (@bestharrysbr) August 29, 2024
Earlier this year, Holmes Chapel Partnership sought Styles superfans to lead a new tour about the ‘As It Was’ artist in the village.
A representative for the tour recently told CBBC Newsround that it had attracted fans from as far as Bangladesh, India, Australia and Canada. In April, it was reported that Holmes Chapel had seen over 5,000 visitors in the last year.
Another popular spot visited by ‘Harries’ is the bakery where Styles worked part-time before he joined One Direction. The shop has a lifesize cardboard placard of the star holding a white loaf.
Fans also visit Styles’ former schools, the terraced cottage where he grew up, and a nearby Chinese restaurant where he is said to have once taken Taylor Swift.
Whiers previously told The Guardian: “Even during the wet winter months, Harries have continued to visit, braving muddy banks and wet fields to pay homage at Harry’s Wall.”
In other news, Styles recently attended Fontaines D.C.’s intimate London show along with the likes of Cillian Murphy, Florence Welch and Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie. Last month saw him join Stevie Nicks on stage at BST Hyde Park in London.
The post Harry Styles viaduct protected from “well-meaning damage” appeared first on NME.
