‘Harry would approve’: Rail company protects Cheshire viaduct now Styles shrine | Harry Styles

It’s survived two world wars and almost 200 years of Northern English weather, but nothing poses a greater threat to critical infrastructure than a Harry Styles fan.

A Grade II-listed railway viaduct in rural Cheshire had to be guarded with a wall to prevent souvenir-hungry Harries from damaging the 183-year-old structure.

The Twemlow Viaduct, which carries the busy mainline train along England’s west coast, has become a shrine to Styles fans around the world. It’s reportedly where he had his first kiss.

Thousands of people have scrawled their names on the Edwardian arches, leaving messages such as: “You’re home”, “It’s going to be OK” and even “Harry, I had your baby”.

The viaduct, near Styles’ childhood home in the idyllic village of Holmes Chapel, has become a must-visit attraction since it featured in a 2013 film about the rise of One Direction. But it has reached a whole new level of fame as Styles’ popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, prompting villagers to launch official tours in June.

Many fans have written their names on the historic structure, while others have taken their quest for a souvenir a step further. “People are putting up murals and messages of support; but the paint and solvents are damaging the brickwork and people have removed bricks,” said Rob Stephens, a senior engineer for Network Rail, which maintains the viaduct.

The railway company has now cordoned off part of the 23-arch structure and installed a specially constructed wall with black boards for fans to write their names on, to prevent further damage.

Within 24 hours, Harries had even left messages on the new wall from the US and Germany.

Sophia Trey and her friend Emmagin Warner, both 19, made their first sightseeing trip to “Harry’s Wall” while visiting the United Kingdom from their home in Denver, Colorado.

“It’s crazy,” Trey said, placing a pebble in the colors of the Colorado flag near one of the arches. “It doesn’t feel real, but in the best way possible. It’s so great to see 15 years of fans. It’s a step into his home.”

Warner said: “It’s like a dream. (Harry) wrote on it in the movie. It’s a place to bring everyone together, because we all get to sign the wall. We all love each other in this fandom.”

The two friends had made the 4,500-mile journey to the UK for Trey’s 20th birthday and were due to pay a quick visit to Holmes Chapel before travelling to London the following week to attend a concert by Niall Horan, Styles’ former bandmate.

Trey said she approved of the new protective fence: “I think it’s great because once it starts to become harmful, you’re like, ‘OK, why are we doing this? It’s important to keep it that way.'”

Caitlin Dixon, 14, had made the shorter journey to the viaduct – she goes to Styles’ old school in Holmes Chapel – and was pleased that the village’s heritage was being protected: “Harry would definitely approve. It’s nearly 200 years old so it’s good to save it from being destroyed and fans can still come along and sign it.”

It is expected that around 10,000 Styles fans will have visited Holmes Chapel by the end of this year – almost double the population and twice as many as made the pop pilgrimage in 2023.

Peter Whiers, chairman of the Holmes Chapel Partnership, which launched the tours in June, said concerts by Horan and Taylor Swift – Styles’ former girlfriend – had brought many more Harries to the once sleepy village.

Network Rail’s Stephens rejected accusations that the company was spoiling the festivities by blocking off the arches.

“We’re trying to promote it in a safe and sustainable way, without causing vandalism to a historic building,” he said. “By shielding the viaduct, we’re actually preserving messages that have already been left behind.”

Now that the Harries have been kept at bay, the main question is what happens once the new signature boards are filled.

It’s one that Network Rail will have to respond to sooner than they thought. By Thursday afternoon, dozens of fans had already walked across muddy farmer’s fields to leave their mark on the site. “There were more people here than I thought, to be honest,” Stephens said.