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NEWS
2017
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Above:
One
of the many abandoned engine houses on the east side of Bodmin
Moor, Cornwall, with the trackbed of the Liskeard & Caradon
Railway clearly visible in the foreground. This part of the moor
a treasure trove for railway ramblers and industrial archaeologists:
the engine houses run into double figures, and a high proportion
of the trails all have their origin as railways or tramways. 26th
October 2016. (Jeff Vinter) |
December
2017. Carmarthen to Aberystwyth, Wales. After a preliminary
assessment in 2015, the Welsh Assembly this year commissioned
engineering firm Mott Macdonald (involved in the successful
re-opening of the Borders Railway in Scotland) to carry out
a £300K feasibility study into re-opening the disused
Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway, with work commencing in September.
The initial study found that 97% of the route remains undeveloped,
and there is a general feeling that West Wales needs the line
to be reinstated to increase economic activity, improve access
to places of work and study, and provide tourists with an environmentally-friendly
alternative to the car. Currently, re-opening is expected to
cost between £500 and £750 million. Two issues that
Mott Macdonald will have to address are the Ystwyth Trail, which
uses the old trackbed between Aberystwyth and Tregaron, and
the Gwili Railway, which runs trains over 4 miles of the old
line at the south end – and has ambitions to double that
mileage with extensions to Llanpumpsaint to the north and Carmarthen
to the south. (Chris Parker and Richard Rees)
December 2017.
Blaenau Ffestiniog to Bala, Gwynedd. The following
report has been adapted from the Welsh Highland Railway's unofficial
'Isengard' website:
The Blaenau Ffestiniog
& Trawsfynydd Railway is thinking of a further phase in
the redevelopment of the route towards Bala. A feasibility
study has been commissioned and will begin at Trawsfynydd
station yard and continue to a roadside terminus at the summit
of the Cwm Prysor Pass where the A4212 road has taken over
the trackbed. It is around 5½ miles long. However,
track terminates at Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station siding
and there is little ballast either. It is interesting that
the feasibility study apparently does not cover the section
between the Nuclear Power Station siding and Trawsfynydd station
yard.
The land may have been
sold off by BR but is largely clear except for a farm shed
just south of the power station. Three or four small bridges
may need replacing but the rest of the civil engineering is
thought to be in good condition.
The line runs along
a 2 mile ledge high above Cwm Prysor with incredible views
and the curved Cwm Prysor viaduct near the summit will be
the cream on the cake! A Transport & Works Order may be
necessary to re-acquire land for the route. This is a longer
term project after the initial section from Blaenau to Trawsfynydd
is opened so the existing permissive footpath along most of
it is likely to remain for quite a while yet.
Readers of the railway
press will have come across ideas like this before, so will
not be surprised that our correspondent advises, 'Don't hold
your breath on this one'. (Chris Parker)
December 2017.
Burlescombe to Westleigh Quarry, Devon. The ¾ mile branch
line from Burlescombe, on the West of England main line, to
the nearby monster quarry at Westleigh is owned by Aggregate
Industries, who have created a permissive path along the old
trackbed. For a short line, it is not lacking in engineering
works, running along an embankment with no fewer than three
underbridges, the principle of which is 'Black Bridge', a double-span
girder structure by which the branch crossed the Grand Western
Canal. The two ends of the route are at grid references ST 072169
(off the south end of Station Road, Burlescombe) and ST 066173,
near the quarry entrance. (Mark Jones and Jeff Vinter)
December
2017. Bennerley Viaduct, Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire.
Disappointing news has arrived from Sustrans regarding its bid
to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a grant to help restore
the iconic Bennerley Viaduct; it has been unsuccessful. HLF
said that their recent board meeting was a 'highly competitive
round of decision-making and that the current level of demand
means they simply can’t support all the good heritage
projects that apply to them'. On the plus side, Sustrans will
discuss HLF's feedback with a view to improving their application
the second time around. (Bill Tomson)
December 2017.
Coast to Coast Cycle Route, Cumbria/County Durham/Tyne
& Wear. As part of its drive to improve the standard of
the National Cycle Network, Sustrans has announced a £450,000
scheme (partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund) to restore
50 bridges and historic structures – including Beamish
Tunnel – along the Coast to Coast cycle and walking route
in West Cumbria and the North East. The 140 mile route attracts
over 15,000 visitors per year, with 42 miles of it being based
on old railways. The railway components include the old iron
ore railway between Whitehaven to Rowrah (the purchase of which
was financed by Railway Ramblers), the Workington to Broughton
Moor and Siddick sections, and the Washington to Sunderland
section of the former Stanhope & Tyne Railway. (Graeme Bickerdike
and Keith Holliday)
November 2017.
Swanage, Dorset. One of Dorset's shortest railway walks (at
about half a mile) is the former Swanage Pier Tramway, which
was built under the terms of the Swanage Pier & Tramway
Act of 8th August 1859 to convey Purbeck marble on to Swanage
Pier for transshipment. However, this trade did not last very
long, and the tramway ended up carrying coal, timber and fish
(presumably inwards) until 1914. After that, a few sections
of the route were used in the 1920s, but by the 1930s only a
single wagon remained in use. Good photographs of the tramway
are few and far between – which is hardly surprising given
its early closure date – but our correspondent has recently
scanned some pictures from a tatty scrapbook which a friend
bought from a junk shop. It included the images here,
here
and here
of the Swanage Pier Tramway, which are so sharp they look as
if they were developed from glass plate negatives. The second
photograph shows rudimentary rolling stock in the lower right
hand corner, while close examination of the third one reveals
a poster for a visit by the paddle steamer Lord Elgin, which
was the first vessel to use the new Swanage Pier on 1st May
1896. For that reason, we think these excellent photographs
must date from the late 1890s, and possibly even 1st May 1896;
the opening of the pier and the visit by P.S. Lord Elgin would
explain why a photographer was on hand to record the scene for
posterity. (Alan Clarke)
November 2017.
Coalport, Shropshire, and Petworth, West Sussex. Fancy owning
an old railway station? If you have deep pockets, opportunities
are now available at both Coalport
(the Severn Valley station) and Petworth
(on the former LBSCR Pulborough-Midhurst branch). Both have
been developed to offer accommodation in restored railway carriages,
those at Petworth being restored Pullman coaches, some of which
were rescued from Marazion in Cornwall. The estate agents' photographs
provide a great opportunity to see the interior as well as the
exterior of these fine old buildings. Our correspondent remarks:
'Must say I am surprised they aren't selling. Maybe people don't
want to take on the business side of it. Needs strong investment
and commitment.' (Tim Grose)
November 2017.
Draycott to Rodney Stoke, Somerset. According to the
map on the index page of the Strawberry
Line Society's website, this section of the former GWR line
from Wells to Cheddar is now open as a multi-use trail, although
a personal visit will be necessary to determine whether the
old railway has been used, or quiet local lanes and drove roads
(as shown on the 2005 plan for the route). The distance is only
two-thirds of a mile, but is significant because of long-term
plans to convert the whole of this line into a multi-use trail.
For further details, see our report from October.
(Jeff Vinter)
November 2017.
Great Elm to Frome, Somerset. Regular readers of these
pages will recognise 'Great Elm to Frome' as describing the
missing section of Colliers Way (NCN24), which is needed to
link Frome properly (by railway path) to Radstock, Midsomer
Norton, Wellow, Midford and Bath. Local community group Frome's
Missing Links continues to work tirelessly to fill the gap,
and recently announced completion of another discrete section
of its intended route. Its 6th November newsletter reported:
'Volunteers have now completed a project to reinforce a 130
metre section of footpath, which will be part of the future
Missing Link route, creating a surface of compacted scalpings
which will be suitable for cycling. Fencing has also been added
along much of the path, which is near Coalash Lane. As part
of this project, several volunteers were trained in the use
of rollers – skills which will hopefully be useful on
other sections of the path.' We believe this section to be the
public footpath which runs alongside the Frome-Whatley Quarry
freight line between the A362 at grid reference ST 765498 and
Coalash Lane at ST 769497. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
The southern portal of Tidenham Tunnel on the fomer Wye
Valley line between Chepstow and Tintern, seen before vegetation
obscured the view and high security pallisade fencing barred access.
The track here remains in place, but will have to be removed if
plans to create a cycle trail along the branch succeed –
as now seems likely. For further details, see the story below.
Summer 1993. (John Winder, used under the terms of this Creative
Commons Licence) |
October
2017. Chepstow to Tintern, Gwent (Monmouthshire). The
rails still remain in situ between Chepstow and Tidenham
on the former GWR Wye Valley line from Chepstow to Tintern. Over
the years, there have been several proposals to create a multi-use
trail on this old railway, the most recent one (from Monmouthshire
County Council at the time of Sustrans' Connect2 Project) having
failed by just a single vote. Now, at last, things may be moving
forward. On 31st October, an organisation called A-B Connecting
Communities sent a newsletter to its supporters containing the
following item: 'We were overjoyed last Friday to hear that the
grant of £9,000 [which] A-B Connecting Communities applied
for from Chepstow Town Council has been awarded. Mike Lewis of
the Green Man Backpackers in Chepstow Town Centre has this week
also pledged £1,000 taking the total to £20,500 required
to submit the revised Planning Applications to the Monmouthshire
County Council and Forest of Dean County Council for the Wander
Wye Route from the Severn Bridge to Tintern along the disused
railway line.' The newsletter continued to report that both Sustrans
(actually Railway Paths) and Network Rail were 'on board' with
the project, and that Justin Bryce – who operates the adjoining
National Diving and Activity Centre in the former Dayhouse Quarry
– has given an undertaking (not legally enforceable) to
work with A-B and allow public access for walking and cycling.
(Ivor Sutton) |
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Above:
The photographer took this to be the former station house
at Draycott, which was the station immediately south-east of Cheddar
on the former line from Yatton to Cheddar, Wells, Shepton Mallet
and Witham Friary. He must be correct, for the stonework and decorative
features are pure Bristol & Exeter Railway, and can be seen
on all the company's surviving stations, such as Sandford &
Banwell, Axbridge and Cheddar. The canopy over the entrance door
is almost identical to that on the lamp room at Sandford &
Banwell. An extension to the Strawberry Line multi-use trail may
pass here in the future: for further details, see the story below.
25th April 1995. (Ben Brooksbank used under the terms of this
Creative
Commons licence) |
October
2017. Cheddar to Wells and Shepton Mallet, Somerset.
John Grimshaw is perhaps best known for having founded Sustrans
back in the 1970s. His new path-building charity is called 'Greenways
and Cycleroutes Ltd' and, as we have reported before, it specialises
in delivering routes which previously have proved 'intractable'.
Given that, it is with considerable pleasure that we can report
this charity's involvement with an extension to the existing
Strawberry Line, which runs from Yatton to Cheddar. This passage
from its recent first report to supporters summarises the current
position: 'We have worked with the Strawberry Line extension
group to plan a route from Cheddar to Wells and on to Shepton
Mallet [via the old railway]. Members of the local group are
now continuing negotiating with landowners, in preparation for
the submitting of planning applications.' It will be good to
see this route materialise after all these years; this was the
trail which, just a couple of years ago, prompted Tessa Munt
(then MP for Wells) to raise questions in the House of Commons
about Somerset County Council's lack of progress in delivering
it. (Jeff Vinter)
October 2017. Appleby
to Warcop, Cumbria. Highways England plans to build a new road
between Appleby and Warcop (where the rails are still in place
and leased to the Eden Valley Railway), and wants to use the
parallel disused railway to accommodate a new multi-use trail
along the same corridor. Currently, we do not know when this
is likely to happen. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
The view towards Rugby along the former LNWR Rugby to
Leamington Spa line from near Draycote Water. As can be seen from
the width of the formation, this used to be a double track railway;
it is not normally this clear, but Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire
had cut back the vegetation to create a habit suitable for butterflies.
Only a few short sections of this long cross-country route have
been converted into a trail, but imminent development alongside
the trackbed in Rugby means that all that may now change; for
further details, see the story below. 15th February 2016. (Jeff
Vinter) |
October
2017. Rugby to Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. There
are proposals at the Rugby end of this former LNWR cross-country
branch line for a large-scale development on land adjoining
the old railway. Sustrans' Network Development Manager believes
that Section 106 funding will become available from this, thereby
creating a realistic possibility that, finally, a path might
be constructed along the old trackbed within the next 5-10 years.
Under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
(as amended), local authorities can seek contributions from
developers towards the cost of improvements to 'community and
social infrastructure', which become necessary because of new
development. (Jeff Vinter)
October 2017. Betteshanger
Colliery Junction to Betteshanger Colliery, Kent. The mineral
line to Betteshanger Colliery can be walked between grid references
TR 360544 and TR 337531, a distance of 1¾ miles, on unfenced
'white roads' through Betteshanger Community Park, formerly
Fowlmead Country Park. Betteshanger was the last working colliery
in Kent, finally closing in 1989 after the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.
In spring 2018, a new Kent Mining Museum will open at Betteshanger,
funded in part by a grant of £1.3 million from the Heritage
Lottery Fund; the museum is being established because the Kent
coalfield was the only one in the UK without its own regional
museum. Adjoining the old railway at its east end, the modern
community park includes a smooth 3½ kilometre cycle circuit,
which British Cycling (the UK's national governing body for
cycling) has described as among the best outdoor tarmac road
cycle circuits in the UK. (Keith Holliday/Jeff Vinter)
October 2017. Bristol
to Portishead, Somerset/Bristol. The public consultation for
the Development Consent Order, a legal requirement for the next,
critical step towards trains returning to Portishead, will run
from 23rd October to 4th December. The consultation, which was
already being publicised at the start of this month, will collect
public opinion about the proposed line and train service, as
currently planned; it will not deal with the location of the
stations and service levels, which have already been agreed.
We reported in February this year
that the River Avon Trail runs parallel to the railway from
Ashton Gate to opposite Sea Mills, thus providing future opportunities
for 'ride and stride', i.e. ride on the train one way and walk
back the other. (Matt Skidmore)
October 2017. Canfranc,
France/Spain. Europe's second largest railway station is not
in a major city, as one would expect, but in the tiny Pyrenean
village of Canfranc (population 500) on the Franco-Spanish border.
Opened in 1928 as a through route from Spain to France (and
much used during World War 2 by Jews and Allied soldiers to
escape into Spain), the line closed in 1970 when a train derailed
on the French side. In the years since closure, the weather
and vandals have diminished the mighty station, but now the
Aragon government wants to refurbish it as a hotel, build another
one next door, and re-launch rail travel through the Pyrenees.
The French regional government in Bordeaux has agreed to re-open
the line on its side too. Already, there are two trains a day
between Saragossa and Canfranc, and the massive wooden ticket
halls at Canfranc station have been restored. In its heyday,
Canfranc station was called the 'Titanic of the Alps', and could
deserve that title again with five years if all goes to plan.
Click the link here
for the full story. (Mike Knight)
September 2017.
Witney Junction to Fairford, Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire
is not a county which contains many railway paths, but between
1987 and 1994 local resident Sue Chapman campaigned to have
a quarter mile section of old trackbed west of Eynsham (grid
references SP 430089 to SP 421089) designated as a public footpath
– and succeeded. Unfortunately, West Oxfordshire District
Council has recently informed the local parish council that
there are plans to divert the footpath off the old railway to
make way for offices and 'manufacturing buildings'. Further
details are available at eynsham-pc.gov.uk/org-news.aspx?nid=697,
and we encourage those who read this story to contact local
councillor Sue Osborne (see her link on the eynsham-pc website)
with good reasons to object, so that the parish council can
assemble a strong case against these plans. Time is of the essence,
so please act quickly. (Tim Chant)
September 2017.
Treherbert to Port Talbot, Mid Glamorgan/West Glamorgan.
The Welsh government has provided funding of £90,000 to
the Rhondda Tunnel Society to carry out a detailed survey of
all faults in the tunnel, and the cost of rectifying them. This
will include a survey of the material used to fill the cuttings
at each end, in case it includes anything hazardous. For further
details, see the Wales Online web page here,
which includes a recent video from inside the tunnel. (Keith
Holliday)
September 2017.
Kelso to Sprouston, Borders. Member Chris John first
reported how the Scottish Borders Council was re-using old railways
for trails back in 2003. Years later, a correspondent has noticed
that a 1½ mile section of the old NBR/NER line from Kelso
to Tweedmouth is now marked on the local OS Explorer map as
a cycle trail. Its starts south of Kelso just off the A698 (which
itself occupies ¾ mile of the trackbed towards Roxburgh)
at grid reference NT 736336 and continues to NT 754349 on the
western edge of Sprouston, passing Sprouston Junction on the
way – not a junction in the conventional sense, but an
end-to-end connection where the two railway companies met. (Keith
Holliday)
September 2017.
Waterford to Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland. Further
to earlier reports this year, a club member with family living
on the 'Emerald Isle' has been out to explore this newly opened
rail trail. 'I've cycled it, and think it's the most outstanding
old line that I've visited. The variation of terrain is quite
spectacular, i.e. coastal, countryside and riverside. It also
passes over several long bridges and the high viaduct at Kilmacthomas,
and additionally passes by the Waterford & Suir Valley preserved
railway.' See www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com
for further details and information. (Lionel Pilbeam) |
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Above:
This underbridge, which carried the Bilston Glen Colliery
Railway over the A7 at grid reference NT 310689, was closed off
last year prior to improvement works which will soon result in
the railway path from Roslin (south of Edinburgh) to Gilmerton
being extended to the new town of Shawfair; this is the view looking
south west towards Gilmerton. For further details, see the story
below. 20th October 2016. (Jeff Vinter) |
August
2017. Gilmerton to Shawfair, Midlothian. On 19th August,
the Midlothian Advertiser announced that work had finally started
on converting the disused trackbed from Gilmerton to Shawfair
(near Millerhill Junction, outside Edinburgh) into an extension
of the 3 mile cycle trail which currently runs from Roslin to
Loanhead and Gilmerton (Lasswade Road). The extension will add
1¾ miles to the existing route and is intended to give
future residents of the new town of Shawfair a traffic-free
and healthy alternative to using their cars. The current work
will re-use virtually all of the former NBR's Glencorse branch,
also known as the Bilston Glen Colliery Railway. It has taken
the best part of three years to get this project from drawing
board to implementation. (Keith Holliday)
August 2017. Carmarthen
to Llandeilo, Dyfed (Carmarthenshire). Further to our reports
in April and January,
the South Wales Argus has just reported a funding boost for
the 16 mile long multi-use trail intended for the old railway
between Carmarthen and Llandeilo. The Welsh Government Rural
Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (funded
by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and
the Welsh Government) has made a grant of £132,000 to
the project, which will be spent on developing the route at
Nantgaredig. The newly appointed project officer, Sam Palmer,
said: 'This is a fantastic project; as a keen cyclist myself,
I can appreciate how wonderful it will be to cycle along the
path through the stunning Tywi Valley countryside.' Carmarthenshire
CC has made no secret of its desire to make the county the 'cycling
capital of Wales'. (Tim Chant)
August
2017. Ballinamore to Corgar Lake, County Leitrim. Leitrim
County Council has announced that it will convert 2.3 kilometres
(1.5 miles) of the trackbed of the former 3 ft. gauge Cavan
& Leitrim Railway into a greenway between Ballinamore and
Corgar Lake. Work on creating the combined footpath and cycle
trail is expected to start next month. (Jeff Vinter)
August 2017. Catesby
Tunnel, Northamptonshire. Further to our report in February,
the August 2017 edition of Railway Magazine confirmed that the
2,997 yard Catesby Tunnel now 'looks set for a new life as high-tech
road vehicle testing and motorsport facility'. Aero Research
Partners plan to convert the ruler-straight tunnel into a 'world
class' aerodynamics test centre, with automated turntables at
each end and a science park on the former trackbed. RM observed
that 'Northamptonshire is home to several of the world's best-known
motorsport teams and is already a hotbed of road vehicle innovation
and technology'. (Jeff Vinter)
August
2017. Radcliffe-on-Trent to Cotgrave Country Park, Nottinghamshire.
The county of Nottinghamshire was a late starter with
railway paths but has been catching up quickly, thanks partly
to its re-use of colliery lines that closed within recent memory;
the 2 mile trackbed from Radcliffe-on-Trent to Cotgrave Country
Park is a case in point. The modern country park used to be
Cotgrave Colliery, and the route of the railway that served
it is already in use informally by walkers; the plan now is
to install a proper surface on the trackbed, plus fencing and
access ramps where necessary. Nottinghamshire County Council
says that the overall intention is to 'encourage sustainable
and healthy travel options, provide off-road links for both
leisure and commuter use, and link the key commuter settlement
of Cotgrave to the wider leisure and transport network'. (Graeme
Bickerdike and Keith Holliday)
August
2017. Keswick to Threlkeld, Cumbria.
In December 2015, Storm Desmond inflicted serious damage on
this popular and scenic railway path in the Lake District, but
now a diversion has been opened which will enable walkers
to access Threlkeld until a 200 metre section of the old trackbed
can be put back. The diversion is unsuitable for cyclists and
wheelchair users, but at least it restores a link for one class
of user. The Lake District National Park’s projects ranger,
Scott Henderson, commented: 'We all look forward to the entire
pathway being fully reinstated and are working hard to achieve
this. In the meantime, significant parts of one of our
best-used routes can be enjoyed, but we would ask that people
stay away from the cordoned-off areas.' The work was funded
by the Lake District National Park with work carried out by
apprentices from the Eden Rivers Trust. (Tim Chant)
July
2017. Treherbert
to Port Talbot, Mid Glamorgan/West Glamorgan. We reported in
August 2016 that Rhondda Cynon Taf Council had granted a licence
to the Rhondda Tunnel Society to develop a proposal to re-use the
3,443 yard long Rhondda Tunnel as a walking and cycling link
between Treherbert and the Afan Valley that leads down to Port
Talbot from Blaengwynfi. The RTS has now received a grant of
£10,000 from the Welsh Assembly to carry out a 'tapping survey'
of the tunnel; work commenced at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday
26th July, and was expected to take two weeks. (Keith Holliday)
July
2017. Giant's Causeway to Bushmills, Co. Antrim, Ireland.
When our correspondent visited the Giant's Causeway
& Bushmills Railway with the Branch Line Society in
2016, he found a footpath parallel to the railway all the way. So,
despite the comment in Vinter's
Railway Gazetteer that this former rail trail had been
lost, it can still be walked,
albeit as a lineside path – and,
between Easter and the end of October, one might even be passed
by a steam train on the GC&BR. (Stuart Hicks)
July
2017. Waterford to Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland.
We have just learned that the easternmost 6½ miles of this newly-opened
railway path, the Deise Greenway, run alongside
the growing Waterford & Suir Valley Heritage Railway. The
W&SVHR was established in 1997 and now runs from Kilmeadan
to Gracedieu Junction on the west side of Waterford city. The
motive power is all diesel at the moment, including a restored
Simplex locomotive which was used in excavating the Channel
Tunnel, but the railway plans to acquire a steam locomotive
as well. Stations are to be opened at Mount Congreve Gardens,
Woodstown Viking site, Waterford Institute of Technology (Carriganore
Campus) and Bilberry, which will offer visitors the opportunity
to 'ride and stride', i.e. take the train one way and walk the
other. (Stuart Hicks)
July
2017. Levenshulme, Greater Manchester. The Fallowfield Loop
Line from Chorlton-cum-Hardy to Fairfield is
a 6 mile long railway path with Levenshulme South station (grid
reference SJ 876938) roughly in the middle. In recent years,
this old station has been a rather sorry sight, but a local
group called 'Destination South' is seeking to restore it to
its former glory and re-invent it as a 'destination cycle café
and bar'. Some community schemes can appear to be things of
straw (and even more so some railway restoration proposals),
but this one has some experienced professionals behind it who
have produced a polished and convincing proposal. (Jeff Vinter)
July
2017. Kilbirnie to Kilwinning, Strathclyde (North Ayrshire).
North Ayrshire Council, working with Sustrans, has proposed
a cycle path between Kilbirnie, at the end of the Lochwinnoch
Loop Line, and Kilwinning. The proposed route will utilise Garnock
Viaduct, owned by Railway Paths Ltd., and the charity is in
favour of the scheme. This is an interesting prospect: the Lochwinnoch
Loop Line is already one of the longest railway paths in Scotland,
and this extension would make it even longer. It looks as if
the council has its eye on the former Glasgow & South Western
Railway's trackbeds between the two towns, but a section of
operational passenger railway (including Dalry station) would
need to be crossed if this is the case. Watch this space! (Howard
Jones and Jeff Vinter, Railway Paths Ltd)
July
2017. Methley
L&Y and Midland Junction to Cutsyke Junction, Leeds, West
Yorkshire. This is another one of those railway path stories
which has run and run, of a potential new trail with a large
viaduct which has struggled to 'gain traction' in the current
straitened financial climate. The good news is that, in
June this year, a £125,000 project (funded by the Railway Heritage
Trust) to improve the River
Calder Viaduct at grid reference SE 404255 was successfully
completed. The work involved replacing stonework to the string
course, laying a tarmac surface to the deck, installing a drainage
channel, and improving the parapet fencing. Wakefield Council
now has a cycling and walking project in the pipeline which
will see this structure, owned by Railway Paths Ltd, become
part of a larger scheme. The
background to this story will be found in our reports from March
2015 and October
2014. (Jeff
Vinter) |
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Above:
The
newly opened Tregarth or Dinas Tunnel on the Bangor to Bethesda
cycle route is seen through the preceding overbridge and cutting,
with a a party of directors and staff from Railway Paths Ltd in
attendance. For further details, see the story below. 13th
July 2017. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
Near Tynlon
on the ride back from Bethesda to Bangor, which is downhill
all the way. The bridge is out of focus (although the cyclists
are not) because this photograph was taken on the move. The Webmaster
actually got the panning right
– it's not easy when whizzing along on two wheels! 13th
July 2017. (Jeff Vinter) |
July
2017. Porth
Penrhyn, Bangor, to Bethesda, Gwynedd. Further to our reports
in July 2016 and March
2013, in May this year Gwynedd County Council opened both
the 275 metre Tregarth Tunnel (signed as Dinas Tunnel) and the
viaduct immediately to its south, which crosses the Llyn Ogwen.
This completes a 5 mile long, multi-use railway path from Porth
Penrhyn (near Bangor) to Bethesda, switching from Lord Penrhyn's
Railway to the LNWR Bethesda branch at the trail's crossing
of the A55 trunk road. (In case anyone is wondering, the trail
is LPR to the north and LNWR to the south of the A55.) The main
contributors ended up being the Heritage Railway Trust and Gwynedd
County Council, who put in £300,000 and £150,000 respectively.
Additionally, in order to facilitate the route, Railway Paths
Ltd transferred seven railway structures from its portfolio
to the council. It's a great new trail and provides a steady
but manageable climb from Porth Penrhyn to Bethesda, followed
by 5 glorious miles back the other way when one hardly has to
pedal at all. (Jeff Vinter)
July
2017. Rothwell to nr. Lofthouse, West Yorkshire. A permissive
cycle trail now exists on part of the former East & West
Yorkshire Union Railway's line from Stourton Junction to
Lofthouse & Outwood. It runs between grid references SE
348289 and SE 326262, a distance of just under 2½ miles.
There is a short diversion on local residential roads around
the school currently known as Rothwell Church of England Primary
Academy. (What will it be called after the next Education Minister
has taken post?!) The route cannot be extended any further than
its current end point on the B6135 because the massive junction
of the M1 and M62 motorways obstructs the old line. This
route is conveniently close to a fairly new trail from nearby
Methley, which we reported in February
2012. (Keith Holliday)
July
2017. Muir of Ord to Tore (Highland). This is the eastern
section of the Highland Railway's former branch line from Muir
of Ord to Fortrose. This route is now advertised as a footpath
in local tourist literature, although not currently shown on
OS maps – not
even the subscription-based online versions. The total distance
is 4½ miles. Our correspondent walked the trackbed for ca. 4
miles from the end of the path at grid reference NH 600519,
near Tore, to the old railway's intersection at NH 544505 with
the B9169 near Muir of Ord. However, the local tourist map shows
the footpath continuing west of here for another ½ mile to a
point west of Hawthorn Road in Muir of Ord at NH 533505. Access
to the path at Tore is by a farm access road off the A832 just
east of the Tore roundabout with the A9. East of the B9169,
the route starts as a minor road, but soon changes to a permissive
footpath. The trackbed is easily walkable throughout except
for one underbridge that is blocked by foliage, but there is
a stile adjacent to walk round this. The path runs through a
mixture of woods and open countryside, with pleasant views of
the sea in the distance to the south. (Chris Homer)
July
2017. Stalbridge to Poole, Dorset. The historic county
of Dorset is set to be administered by a unitary authority,
with all its district councils being subsumed in a new 'Dorset
Council' based at Dorchester. As a result, the Trailway group,
which has supported the local authorities' efforts to create
a long distance trail along the old Somerset & Dorset Railway
from the county boundary to Poole, fears for the funding of
North Dorset projects, especially the Trailway. Dorset County
Council tends to fund projects related to tourism, especially
along the South Coast where most of the tourist income is generated.
North Dorset is the poor relation. If no money is spent on facilities
like the Trailway and it does not link the ends of the county,
especially Poole to Sturminster Newton and Stalbridge, it cannot
compete with all the other attractions. It is important that
all who can keep the Trailway in the minds of those who sit
in Dorchester making decisions and remind them that the Trailway
is not just a lovely place to walk dogs, but a real tourist
attraction which can and could in the future benefit North Dorset
to a much greater extent. (Lesley Gasson)
July
2017. Mount Pleasant, London. It's not a railway walk
but is fascinating by any measure: a restored section of the Royal
Mail's 6½ mile long, 2ft gauge miniature
railway beneath London opened as a tourist attraction on
Friday 28th July, backed up by an extensive 'Ride Mail Rail' advertising
campaign. The system closed on 31st May 2003, but train rides
will be available from Monday 4th September, with tickets being
bookable from Thursday 13th July. (Jeff Vinter)
July
2017. Thorner to Cross Gates (nr. Leeds), West Yorkshire.
Part of the former NER line from Wetherby to Cross Gates
(east of Leeds) accommodates a public footpath from the
southern edge of Thorner (grid reference SE 379400)
to just north of the A64 crossing north of Scholes (SE 380387),
a distance of ¾ mile. Also,
the latest OS online mapping shows a hatched black line
(i.e. a 'path') continuing on the trackbed south from the A64
for another 1¾ miles to Stanks Bridge near John Smeaton Academy
at SE 373356; the only problem is that such paths can be anything
from a farm track to a high quality permissive route belonging
to a local authority. We think that the section between the
A64 and SE 376372 (the junction of Scholes Lane, Station Road
and Rakehill Road) reflects outdated mapping, i.e. it probably
isn't there any more; but the remaining mile from SE 376372
to Stanks Bridge looks promising
– and the aerial view on Google Maps shows the old railway
variously with a solid and hatched grey line. We note
that, in 2012, Leeds City Council was planning a 'Stanks Cycle
Route' in this area, the intentions being to re-use the old
railway and provide safe, sustainable access to the academy.
If a local member can bring us up-to-date, please get in touch
via our Contact page. (Keith
Holliday and Jeff Vinter) |
|
Above:
Excluding
diminutive Bannister Green Halt, Rayne is one of two surviving
stations on Essex County Council's 'Flitch Way' between Braintree
and the eastern edge of Bishops Stortford. (The other survivor
is Takeley, at the Bishops Stortford end of the line.) A
track panel and BR Mark II passenger coach have now arrived to
reinforce the railway atmosphere. Note the summer sun 'razzing'
off the coach – a scene to remember later in the year, when
the dull days of November are with us again. For further details,
see the story below. 8th July 2017. (Steve Harris) |
July
2017. Rayne, Essex. Our correspondent visited Rayne
station on 8th July and could not help but notice that the owners
have now installed a railway carriage at the east end of the
platform; it contains museum items and some extra seats for
the cafe. The cafe was always very reasonable, offering huge
slices of home-made cake and mugs of tea, etc.; it's called
'The Booking Hall, and its website can be visited at thebookinghall.co.uk.
(Steve Harris)
July
2017. Garmouth to Cullen, Grampian (Aberdeenshire). More
of this route has been moved on to the old railway, which means
that the details published in the latest edition of Vinter's
Railway Gazetteer need a little refinement. Two walkable
stretches of the old railway exist in Buckie: the Burn of Buckie
Viaduct at grid reference NJ 420655, which survives in isolation,
and a short tarmacked-and-illuminated section from the
railway's crossing of the A942 (NJ 425657) to the site of Buckie
station (NJ 428658). Also, the section reported in the gazetteer
as Portessie to Findochty has now been extended west and runs
from Gordonsburgh to Findochty (NJ 433660 to NJ 463676), a distance
of 2¼ miles. Finally, in Portknockie, a short and shallow cutting
can be walked prior to the start of the official Portknockie
to Cullen section, which begins at NJ 491683; this is not part
of the official route, so the longevity of access here is uncertain.
(Phillip Earnshaw)
July
2017. Inverboyndie to Banff, Grampian (Aberdeenshire).
The eastern end of the Great North of Scotland Railway's Banff
branch is a trail between Inverboyndie Layby on the A98 (grid
reference NJ 659640) and the site of Banff station (NJ 687646).
The route is 1¾ miles long, and offers glorious views
over Boyndie Bay. (Phillip Earnshaw)
July
2017. Turriff to nr. Wrae, Grampian (Aberdeenshire).
South of Banff (see entry above), a section of the GNSR's Macduff
branch is also a trail. The route starts on the west side of
Turriff just off the B9025 at grid reference NJ 715504, and
heads north for 2¼ miles to a minor lane at NJ 720531 near
the tiny community of Wrae. (Phillip Earnshaw)
July
2017. Rothes to Dandaleith, Grampian (Aberdeenshire).
Still in GNSR territory, there is a short railway path which
extends south from Rothes to Dandaleith. The route starts off
Spey Street in Rothes at NJ 279492 and continues for 1½ miles
south to NJ 282470, where the A941 encroaches on the trackbed.
However, it is possible to walk behind the crash barrier on
the A941 and follow a cut path just below the road, still on
the old formation, to near the site of Dandaleith station, which
was at NJ 287460; this brings the overall distance up to 2 miles.
Dandaleith is close to Craigellachie on the scenic railway-based
(and whisky-rich) Speyside Way, so anyone exploring that trail
might consider a diversion to Rothes, if only to add the Rothes-based
Glen Grant Whisky Distillery to the tally of distilleries visited!
(Phillip Earnshaw)
July
2017. Portsoy, Grampian (Aberdeenshire). There is a railway
path – formed
from yet more GNSR trackbed
– which runs through Portsoy. It starts from a minor
road near Bogtown (west of Portsoy) at grid reference NJ 573651
and continues to another minor road nr. Tillynaught at NJ 600630,
a distance of 3¼ miles. It is definitely an official path
from Bogtown to Portsoy, but within Portsoy a diversion is required
before and after the town's second station (the one on
the through line to Cullen and beyond). Coming out of
Portsoy on the south eastern side, the trackbed is definitely
a path as far as NJ 594647 where a farm track joins the formation,
but there is nothing to stop a railway rambler continuing
right through to Tillynaught Road (NJ 600630)
– although the going gets a bit difficult on this final
stretch as one passes through Roughilly Wood. Also in the town
is a surviving length of the Portsoy Harbour Branch, which ran
from Portsoy Junction to Portsoy Harbour; it survives as a tarmacked
path of just under half a mile between Seafield Place (NJ 590658)
and Church Street (NJ 590662); there's a good photograph of
the trail on the Railscot page here.
(Phillip Earnshaw)
July
2017. Cheadle to Cresswell, Staffordshire. A new group
called the Friends of Cheadle Railway aims to make the disused
line between Cheadle and Cresswell more accessible for walkers,
cyclists and horse riders. The first stage of the project will
be to clear and re-surface the route between Cheadle and Totmonslow,
a distance of about 2 miles. The line is currently leased by
Moorland & City Railways, who had planned to turn it back
into a railway, although nothing has come of this so far. MCR
director David Kemp commented: 'When we first got involved with
the line, the idea was to look at the possibility of re-opening
it, but there doesn't appear to be any great interest from the
local authorities. I think that what is now being proposed
may well be the best use for the line, certainly for the time
being, and it would be worth doing. The advantage is that
it doesn't necessarily stop it from re-opening as a railway
line, if that option arises in future, as it's not being broken
up, no-one is building on it and the bridges aren't being removed.'
The local newspaper, The Leek Post & Times, reports that
the proposals are welcomed by Cheadle residents, who regularly
use the line. (Graeme Bickerdike)
June
2017. Wareham to Swanage, Dorset. We realise that this
is not a railway path, but older members of this club will remember
walking over the ballast from Corfe Castle to Swanage in the
1970s when this well-used BR branch line was closed and all
the rails removed. We are pleased to report that the line is
open again, throughout, with the timetable until 3rd September
being available at the link here.
(Jeff Vinter)
June
2017. Clones to Enniskillen, Co. Monaghan/Co. Fermanagh,
Republic of Ireland/Northern Ireland. An 'Ulster Canal Greenway'
is under construction in Ireland from Lough Neagh to near
Castle Saunderson, with completion scheduled for 2020. The hope
is that this new trail will replicate the phenomenal success
of the Great Western Greenway, which re-uses the trackbed of
the old Midland Great Western Railway between Westport and Achill
in County Mayo. For railway ramblers, the interesting thing
about this project is that there will be a connecting 34 kilometre
trail (22 miles) from Clones to Enniskillen which will re-use
parts of the Great Northern (Ireland) Railway between Clones
and Enniskillen via Newtownbutler and Lisnaskea. The €4.95
million project is being developed by Waterways Ireland with
local council partners along the route, the intention being
to create a sustainable transport link for both cross-border
travellers and long-distance tourists. Where the old railway
cannot be used, the route will utilise local roads. (Mark Jones)
Update:
For those interested in both rail and water transport, the
long-disused Ulster Canal is being restored too. The
section from Lough Neagh to Clones was due to re-open in about
2015 and, when restoration of the entire waterway from Lough
Neagh to Lough Erne is complete, it will deliver a network
of over 600 miles of navigable waterway linking Limerick,
Waterford, Dublin, Enniskillen, Monaghan and Coleraine. See
here
for further details. (Webmaster)
June
2017. Bedford to Sandy, Bedfordshire. Many visitors
to these pages will know of this 8 mile railway path, which
links Bedfordshire's capital with Sandy on the East Coast Main
Line. Our correspondent has provided details of all the
off-trackbed diversions, which will help anyone exploring the
route on foot or by bicycle
– click here
for details. (Michael Brooks)
June
2017. Muston (nr. Bottesford) to Harston (nr. Denton),
Leicestershire. Vinter's
Railway Gazetteer erroneously places this walk in Leicestershire,
but it only dips a toe into that county – the vast majority
of it lies within Lincolnshire. The main route runs from SK
831371 to SK 848324, but there is also a walkable 'branch
off the branch'. This begins at SK 860342, crosses Casthorpe
Road and then runs to the east of Denton village, finally finishing
at the A607 at SK 874324,
a distance of 1½ miles. It is fully accessible and well used
by local walkers, even though its legal status is uncertain. The
branch originally served quarries near Harlaxton. (Michael Brooks) |
|
|
Above:
Two views of the short tunnel west of St. Fillans on the former
Caledonian Railway's line from Balquhidder to Crieff via St. Fillans
and Comrie, much of which is being converted into a cycle trail.
For further details, see the story below. 10th June 2017. (Dr.
Keith Potter) |
June
2017. Lochearnhead to St. Fillans and Comrie, Central
(Perth & Kinross). Further to our report
in November 2016, we are pleased to announce that conversion
is underway on Phase 3 of this cycleway, with work in progress
on about 1 kilometre of mostly trackbed route, west of St. Fillans
station. Significantly, the short tunnel at grid reference NN
694243 (see above) has been made accessible; it was previously
securely fenced at both ends. The often waterlogged cutting
to the west of the tunnel (top picture) has had drainage installed.
It is unclear how far west this phase will continue: on a 10th
June visit, clearance ended abruptly around NN 696243 where
a token site fence had been installed, but it would be logical
to continue to NN 697237 where the currently signed path joins
the trackbed. It is assumed that a tarmac surface will be provided,
but the work was at too early a stage to be sure. The first
200 metre section east of Station Road follows the foot of the
embankment due to housing on the formation. At this end, connection
exists via Station Road with the cycleway that first avoids
the station area and a nearby farm, then follows the trackbed
towards Dalchonzie (Phase 1). At the west end, there is still
not a cycleway link to Phase 2, the new Glentarken bridge, the
trackbed in between being an informal footpath, which is wet
in places. (Dr Keith Potter)
June 2017. Haverhill
to Sturmer, Suffolk/Essex. We have learned recently of a 3 mile
railway path that runs from the eastern edge of Haverhill through
the town to the village of Sturmer, re-using part of the trackbed
of the former Great Eastern Railway's Cambridge to Long Melford
route. While the trail doesn't always follow the trackbed exactly
in Haverhill itself – which is not surprising –
it is always close to it. The route runs between grid references
TL 657467 and TL 697440, and is only a few miles from the short
section of the same line within Clare Country Park, where the
station now features a new café, as reported in May.
The Stour Valley Path provides a handy traffic-free link from
Sturmer to Clare for anyone wanting to explore the two trails
in a single visit. (Robert Greenall)
June 2017. Newcastle-under-Lyme
to Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Owen Meredith, the Conservative
candidate for Newcastle-under-Lyme, has called for the town's
rail link to Stoke-on-Trent to be reinstated (see here).
Some of the route still exists, but other parts are used as a
cycle trail, are seriously overgrown, or have been built on. Mr
Meredith commented: 'Newcastle
is one of the largest towns in the UK without a railway station.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is also keen on the idea of
a feasibility study. Being realistic I would not expect anything
to be put in place until the end of the decade, [or] start of
the next one, but there is a real opportunity here.' Given
the huge amounts of money that Network Rail requires for such
projects, partly as the result of modern legal and safety requirements,
this re-opening must be regarded as 'highly aspirational'. (Keith
Holliday) June
2017. Camden Town to King's Cross, London. Plans have
been announced to create a 60 ft wide, half-mile long elevated
park on a stretch of disused railway between Camden Town and
King's Cross. The route would start at Kentish Town Road before
passing north of Camden Road station towards Caledonian Road
station, continuing over several disused railway bridges and
finishing near Camley Street. The plan has been proposed by
an organisation called 'Camden Town Unlimited' and already has
support from local businesses, police, residents and politicians.
A key feature is that the route would provide grade-separated
crossings of seven separate roads, which is no small consideration
in this busy part of the city. (Graeme Bickerdike and Keith
Holliday)
June 2017. Ayrshire,
Scotland. A pressure group is calling for a major revolution
to the rail network in Ayrshire. The report (see here)
does not name the campaigners, but Transport Scotland and Railfuture
are involved; they make the point that, while Network Rail is
charged with maintaining the existing network, and Scotrail
with running trains on it, no one is charged with improving
or expanding the network. Communities like Mauchline and Cumnock
'really deserve a railway station' but have 'continued to be
ignored' by rail chiefs. The most startling proposals are to
(1) re-open the former coastal line, the Maidens & Dunure
Light Railway, with stations at Alloway, Culzean and Turnberry,
and (2) re-open the old Ayr to Dalmellington branch. We recognise
that the government in Scotland has very different priorities
to that in England, but the extravagant scale of these proposals
may militate against their success. Re-opening closed stations
on still operational lines is one thing, but reconstructing
the M&DLR quite another. (Graeme Bickerdike and Keith Holliday) |
|
Above:
Rising
out of resplendent May greenery, these are the vintage concrete
steps which lead to the down side of the long-closed railway station
at Trevor on the former GWR line from Ruabon to Llangollen, which
closed on 18th January 1965. The line led eventually to Barmouth
Junction, which remains open as Morfa Mawddach on the Cambrian
Coast line. May 2017. (Chris Parker) |
|
Above:
The
underbridge west of Trevor at SJ 261419 where the new railway
path ends; see story below for further details. The new trail
can be reached from Chirk station via NCN84, which uses the towpath
of the Llangollen Canal. This station is ca. 3½ miles away. Ruabon
station is closer, but does not have off-road access to Trevor.
May 2017. (Chris Parker) |
May
2017. Trevor, Clwyd (Denbighshire). We attach here
a low resolution copy of the web page for a recent addition
to the Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site – a 2 mile circular
walk to the west of Trevor utilising canal towpath, secondary
and minor roads, and around ¾ mile of the Ruabon to Llangollen
line westwards from the site of Trevor station, where the heavily
overgrown platforms still survive. The grid references for the
trackbed section are SJ 268425 to SJ 261419, and the photographs
above show the scene at either end. Our correspondent reports:
'I first became aware of this last year but have only just checked
it out. It is not long enough to qualify for the 3rd edition
of Vinter's Railway Gazetteer, but hopefully of interest for
the website. It's likely to be incorporated in one of next year's
AGM weekend walks.' The indications are that other sections
remain in local authority ownership, and one local reckoned
that only a dispute with neighbouring farmers was preventing
a further section being converted into a path, although that
may no longer be true in the present political/financial/economic
climate. [It is only in England that funding for walking and
cycling projects has been slashed. Webmaster.] (Chris Parker)
May 2017. Bournemouth
to Bath, Dorset/Somerset. We thought that visitors to this site
would be interested to see the railtour advertisement here,
which appeared in the August 1962 edition of 'Modern Railways'.
Note the reference to 'the economy axe', which is a very restrained
expression considering what happened six months later (i.e.
the publication of the Beeching Report). And what a great railtour
this was! The train must have travelled from Bath Green Park
to Cheltenham via Mangotsfield and Yate; then, on leaving Cheltenham,
it continued to Kingham via the now closed line through Andoversford
and Stow-on-the-Wold, before traversing the Oxford-Thame-Princes
Risborough line, all for 55/- or £2.75 in modern money. (Mike
Ross)
May 2017. National.
Sustrans has started to re-evaluate what's in the National Cycle
Network because some sections are not particularly good. A number
of these sections were set up by local authorities using roads,
which means they do not provide the best cycling or walking
experience, and the charity wants to improve the quality of
its 'core brand'. The latest edition of its supporters' magazine,
'The Hub', features articles on a number of routes which do
meet the required quality standards, and – unsurprisingly
– many of these are based on old railways, including Rickmansworth
to Watford (The Ebury Way), York to Selby, Connel Ferry to Ballachulish
Ferry (The Caledonia Way), and Monmouth to Symonds Yat (The
Peregrine Path). It all goes to show the value of re-using old
trackbeds; nothing comes near them for the 'grade separation'
of vulnerable users from motorised traffic. (Jeff Vinter)
May 2017. Monmouth
to Symonds Yat, Gwent/Gloucestershire. Continuing with themes
from the latest Sustrans' supporters' magazine, 'The Hub', Railway
Ramblers gets a deserving mention for its help with upgrading
the Peregrine Path between Monmouth and Symonds Yat: 'Thanks
to a grant that Sustrans received from Railway Ramblers,
the Peregrine Path in Monmouthshire has received a much-needed
makeover … The section between Monmouth and Symonds Yat
is a mixture of on-road, traffic-free path and forest track.
[It is actually an old railway line. Webmaster.] Due to a planning
condition, the path was originally constructed using gravel
which has led to a gradual reduction in its width from 3m to
1m. This has made it difficult for users to share the space
comfortably. The grant has made it possible to restore the path
to 3m, and a better maintenance schedule will ensure that it
remains usable. Path users have expressed their delight with
the work and believe that the number of people using the route
has increased.' (Jeff Vinter)
May 2017. Brockenhurst
to Hamworthy via Ringwood and Wimborne, Dorset/Hampshire. The
Castleman Trailway is a 16½ mile walking, cycling and horse
riding route that, between Brockenhurst and Hamworthy, follows
much of the old Southampton & Dorchester Railway. Between
Ringwood and Upton Country Park, Greenspace teams from Dorset
County Council and the Borough of Poole have installed 44 newly-designed
finger posts to enable the route to be followed more easily;
local oak from an arboricultural works in Poole was used. Also,
volunteers from Great Heath have been refreshing 'lamp post
stickers', which we presume means self-adhesive stickers placed
on local lampposts. Finally, a new website for the trail is
in preparation and should be launched later this year. (Tim
Chant) |
|
Above:
Preserved Hastings diesel no. 1001 arrives at Winchester
station at 10:10 on Saturday 13th May en route from Hastings
to Southampton Central to operate three shuttle trips over
the mothballed 'Waterside Line' from Totton to Fawley. The route
taken was not the obvious one along the coast: instead, the unit
travelled up the Hastings-London line as far as Tonbridge, then
turned west for Redhill. The next stop after Redhill was Woking,
so we reckon that the train must have reversed at both those places.
The final leg of the journey was down the Bournemouth main line
to Southampton Central. (Jeff Vinter) |
|
Above:
The level crossing at the north end of Marchwood station,
seen from the window of the 10:54 Southampton Central to Fawley
service on Saturday 13th May 2017. As can be seen, the crossing
gates are of atypical design. (Jeff Vinter) |
|
Above:
The diminutive Marchwood station viewed at ca. 12:20
from the same train on the way back. Features to note include
the level crossing at the far end of the platform, the semaphore
signalling, and – beyond the level crossing – the
'branch off the branch' that leads into Marchwood Military Port.
The station houses a small signal box and still carries a running-in
board, which can be seen on the wall to the right of the gentleman
in the red top. 13th May 2017. (Richard Lewis) |
May
2017. Totton to Fawley, Hampshire. The Fawley branch
no longer carries oil trains to Fawley Refinery, but there is
renewed interest in re-opening it to passengers, initially to
Hythe and subsequently to Fawley Waterside, where the power
station is due to be closed and the site re-developed for housing.
On Saturday 13th May, preserved Hastings Diesel unit no. 1001
made three return trips down the branch, each one completely
sold out. (That was ca. 300 passengers per trip.) Carrying a
'Fawley Forrester' headboard, the trips were arranged in conjunction
with the Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership, which is behind
the re-opening proposal. The branch remains in use from Totton
to Marchwood Military Port for occasional military trains, but
– if the re-opening goes ahead – there won't be
a 'Waterside Rail Trail' over the southernmost section. Given
the number of new homes being built on the Waterside, and the
parlous state of the Hythe ferry, re-opening the branch to passenger
trains is a sensible proposal. (Jeff Vinter)
May 2017.
Lauder to Oxton (Borders). This is the southernmost half of
the North British Railway's former branch line from Fountainhall
to Lauder, the latter situated a few miles east of Stow station
on the re-opened Borders Railway. The trackbed is now a footpath
complete with stiles and wooden fingerposts, and a few plastic
'LPN' waymarks, whose initials probably stand for 'Lauderdale
Path Network'. (This would be consistent with news supplied
a few years ago by local member Chris John, who informed us
that a number of old Borders trackbeds were being added to local
path networks.) At the southern end, the path joins former railway
infrastructure on the northern edge of Lauder at grid reference
NT 522483 at the top of a short infilled cutting; this is just
north of the industrial estate that occupies the site of Lauder
station, and can be reached from Brownsmuir Park by taking an
urban footpath on the west side of the industrial estate, then
passing the fire station and turning right. At the Oxton end,
a stretch of footpath spans the short link between road and
trackbed at NT 499530, on the lane from Oxton to Midburn. The
footpath is on the trackbed throughout, except between NT 509515
and NT 513506, where the formation has been partly ploughed
into arable fields. The official path makes a 2 mile diversion
to the west here – not explored, as our correspondent
was able to keep to both the trackbed (almost) and the access
code by following field boundaries and grassland sections. The
total distance is 4 miles, but with that half mile gap involving
a lengthy diversion partly on roads. (Dr Keith Potter) |
|
Above:
The site of Fakenham West railway station in Norfolk.
The replica running-in board on the right reads, 'Fakenham West.
This platform was part of Fakenham West station. Opened on 16th
August 1880 by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway Company. It closed
on 28th February 1959.' For further details, see the article
below. 3rd June 2010. (Ashley Dace under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0) |
May
2017. Fakenham, Norfolk. The Norfolk Orbital Railway
project (the trading name of The Melton Constable Trust)
seeks to bridge the 20 mile gap between two of Norfolk’s
popular heritage railways – The North Norfolk Railway
at Holt and the Mid-Norfolk Railway at County School, north
of Dereham. It is currently buying up sections of the old trackbed
as they become available on the property market, a recent example
being land near Pudding Norton, south of Fakenham, which includes
two ex-railway bridges. On 9th May, interviewed for The Eastern
Daily Press, Trevor Bailey, a trustee, commented: 'It will take
a considerable time to acquire the rest of the land required
and to achieve the re-building of the railway, with the very
substantial expenditure involved. We have to work carefully
and considerately with existing landowners. For the coming years,
we want to ensure the Pudding Norton site is open to the community,
for walking, heritage education purposes, environmental experiences
and events.' A photograph accompanying the newspaper's article
suggested that this land might include the site of Fakenham
West station, but we do not yet know the grid references of
the Trust's recent acquisition. If you can supply these, please
get in touch using our Contact
page. (Tim Chant)
May 2017.
Chirnside to Reston, Borders. This 3 mile section of the former
North British Railway's branch line from St. Boswell's to Reston
has been made into a footpath marked with plastic emblems and
equipped with kissing gates of a kind easily operated by horse
riders. It runs between grid references NT 853569 and NT 869614,
and forms part of
the David Hume Way, commemorating the 18th Century Edinburgh-based
philosopher, whose writings our correspondent well remembers
struggling to assimilate as an undergraduate! (See here
for a taster.) Access in the south is just north of industrial
premises occupying Chirnside station yard; the station itself
is reasonably intact and can be viewed from the former level
crossing at its south end. The one missing underbridge on the
path has ramped access to the road. The official path rises
to cross the B6437 at road level, but walkers can equally well
follow the trackbed below the overbridge. The path ends in the
north at a minor road, but there is no problem with remaining
on the formation to the Network Rail fence opposite Reston station,
whence a marked footpath leads the bridge taking the B6438 over
the East Coast Main Line. Further west down the branch, though
not on this trail, there is a very well preserved station building
at Edrom, whilst Duns station remains, though unsympathetically
extended, within an industrial estate. (Dr Keith Potter)
May 2017.
Barleith (nr Kilmarnock) to Galston, East Ayrshire (Strathclyde).
Club members in Scotland continue to find new railway paths,
this part of the former Glasgow & South Western Railway's
branch from Kilmarnock to Loudonhill being a recent example.
Our correspondent reports: 'This is a surfaced cycleway, marked
by blue finger post signage. It can be accessed in the west
from Craigie Road, Hurlford. In the east, the cycleway leaves
the railway alignment in a landscaped area: it veers right and
climbs, while a left-curving line of trees in a grassed area
seems to mark the former railway boundary. The emergence of
the cycleway wasn’t checked (we followed the trackbed),
but it appears to be close to Galston Cemetery. The only point
at which the cycleway leaves the trackbed is around grid reference
NS 473360 where for some undiscernible reason it moves to the
southern boundary for about 150 metres.' The start and end points
of this 2¼ mile route are NS 458361 and NS 493361. (Dr
Keith Potter)
May
2017. Clare, Suffolk. The delightful railway station
at Clare, on the former GER line from Cambridge to Long Melford,
was used as a museum for many years but is now enjoying a new
lease of life as 'The Platform One Café', which has been established
in the original 1865 booking hall. The Grade 2 listed building
is a feature in Clare Castle Country Park, but this is the first
time that the park has included a café, although there are plenty
of 'eateries' a short walk away in Clare town centre. The building’s
new furnishings have been chosen to reflect its history, and
there are plans to collect more railway artefacts for display.
As an added bonus, the park includes a short length of railway
trackbed which can be walked. (Tim Chant)
April 2017. York
to Market Weighton, Yorkshire. A recent visit by our correspondent
found that a half mile section of the former NER line from York
to Market Weighton has been converted into a multi-use trail,
between Bootham Junction (York) and Haxby Road, Earswick. The
trail runs from grid reference SE 604540 (south of a bridge
on the B1363) to SE 609549, where it connects with trackbed-based
Link Road, which leads to the site of Earswick station at SE
612550; the Flag & Whistle pub, with a railway signal outside,
now stands on the site. The south end of the trail joins the
2 mile path between York and Osbaldwick, which re-uses the York
end of the Derwent Valley Light Railway. (Keith Holliday)
April 2017.
Salisbury to West Moors, Wiltshire/Hampshire/Dorset. There is
currently a 2 mile railway path from South Charford to Burgate
Cross which passes through the old station at Breamore. The
local New Forest newspaper, The Daily Echo, has just reported
a burgeoning dispute at Fordingbridge (south of Burgate Cross),
which concerns plans by developers Highwood Homes and Pennyfarthing
Homes to build 145 new houses on the northern edge of the town,
bordering the old railway line. Local campaigners and civic
chiefs have 'joined the battle' to prevent this, claiming that
the new homes would add too much extra traffic to over-burdened
local roads, while placing extra strain on schools and other
services. However, if the development does go ahead, the local
authority (which at Fordingbridge is Hampshire County Council)
would be entitled to seek Section 106 grants from the developers
which, inter alia, could be used to extend the railway
path southwards from Burgate Cross into the town; such an extension
would certainly increase the number of people using the trail.
(Tim Chant)
April 2017. Plymouth,
Devon. Further to our reports in 2016, Plymouth City Council
has now opened the extension to the new railway path that comes
off the refurbished Laira Bridge. The new four metre wide path
provides a level and direct multi-use trail from the east end
of the bridge (grid reference SX 502542) into the Saltram Meadow
housing development, and a further extension is planned for
2018 when the route will be continued east to Broxton Drive
(SX 510541) before crossing Billacombe Road, the busy A379,
by a planned new bridge. Councillor Patrick Nicholson, the council's
Deputy Leader, thanked Sustrans for preserving the old railway
until it could be used for a trail, although the charity which
actually did this was Railway
Paths Ltd. Cycling in Plymouth has increased by 50% in the
last six years, which is not surprising given the city's commitment
to providing high quality routes. It all goes to show that people
will walk and cycle if given safe places to do so – a
point made nearly 40 years ago by Sustrans founder, John Grimshaw.
The funding for this extension has come from Section 106 grants
from developers, and South West Local Enterprise Partnership's
Local Transport Board; we would not want readers to think that
the money came from the government's Cycling
and Walking Investment Strategy, which proceeds at a glacial
pace and continues to underwhelm. (Tim Chant and Jeff Vinter)
April
2017. Carmarthen to Llandeilo, Dyfed (Carmarthenshire).
Further to our report in January, the
South Wales Guardian reported on 8th April that planning permission
had been granted for the first section of the Tywi Valley Path,
which will re-use much of the former railway line through the
'stunning Tywi Valley' from Carmarthen to Llandeilo. This first
phase will see the construction of a shared use tarmac path
between White Mill and Nantgaredig (3 miles); it will be about
3 metres wide, with 1 metre grass verges on either side. When
the entire route is complete, it will be 16 miles long. Carmarthenshire's
Director of Environment Ruth Mullen commented: 'This is a flagship
project for the council and forms part of our ambition to make
Carmarthenshire the cycling capital of Wales … It is estimated
the path could attract at least 15,000 visitors a year generating
between £860,000 and £2 million in the local economy.' The project
is expected to cost between £5 and £8 million in total, but
funding has already been secured through the Welsh Government’s
Local Transport Fund. (Tim Chant) |
|
Above:
There have been further developments on Centurion Way
in West Sussex. This is a view of the newly opened cycle ramp
between the trackbed at West Dean and the lane which leads to
the village centre. It provides access access to a surprising
number of facilities, including The Dean Ale and Cider House,
the excellent village shop and tea room, West Dean Gardens, The
Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, the village church and the
village school. For those who want to ride back to Chichester,
there is a bus stop outside the ale and cider house on Stagecoach's
route 60 back to Chichester. For further details, see the story
below. 21st April 2017. (Brian Loughlin) |
April
2017. Chichester to Midhurst, West Sussex. Following
the extension of the rail-based Centurion Way from Lavant to
West Dean in November 2015,
the South Downs National Park Authority announced on 7th April
the opening of a new set of steps, with accompanying cycle ramp,
which will permit users to exit the trail safely and easily
at West Dean which, previously, had been a dead end. The Park
Authority explained: 'The access surface has been installed
for a couple of weeks and the steps have remained closed to
allow the surface time to bed in. Ideally the surface would
benefit from a longer period to settle, however we felt that
on balance it [was] more important to satisfy the increasing
demand for the access to be open, particularly as user numbers
have swelled with the spring weather.' The next phase of this
route's development (as reported previously) will see West Dean
Tunnel opened for walkers and cyclists, with a further railway-based
extension beyond to connect with the South Downs Way at Cocking.
(Alister Linton-Crook)
March 2017. Haweswater
Reservoir, Cumbria. Construction of the controversial Haweswater
Dam to form Haweswater
Reservoir started in 1929. Manchester Corporation was behind
the scheme, which was to supply water to the city, but the Parliamentary
Act caused public outcry because it would mean flooding the
farming villages of Measand and Mardale Green in what was considered
to be one of the most perfect of all Lakeland valleys. In the
event, all buildings were demolished in 1935 just before the
valley was inundated, with the newly created reservoir leaving
the valley floor 95 ft below the water's surface. According
to RR's Phil Earnshaw, the road that Manchester Corporation
constructed on the south side of the reservoir was surveyed
initially as a railway, presumably to bring in materials for
the dam, as had happened previously in the Elan Valley (near
Rhayader) which was damned to provide water for Birmingham.
On Saturday 24th June this year, Phil will lead a walk along
the route, which he describes as passing through 'as barren
a landscape as you are likely to get'. The contour-hugging 'railway-road'
still conveys the feeling of a railway, and runs for a distance
of ca. 4 miles between grid references NY 469107 and NY 505156,
near Bampton. (Phil Earnshaw, Keith Holliday and Jeff Vinter)
March 2017. Irlam
to Timperley, Greater Manchester. Graeme Bickerdike's excellent
'Forgotten
Relics' website now carries a link to an ITV
news item about plans for a 6 mile heritage railway and
multi-use trail from Irlam (in Salford) to Timperley (in Trafford).
Because it will require restoring Cadishead Viaduct, it is an
optimistic scheme but will be spectacular if it can be pulled
off. Promoter Neil McArthur believes the re-opened line would
be both a tourist attraction similar to the popular Bury-based
East Lancashire Railway, and also bring together on cycle, on
foot and by train various local communities which are relatively
close but currently served poorly by local transport facilities.
(Keith Holliday) |
|
Above:
Lighter evenings mean that one can check out old railways
after work! This is the site of Fulwell & Westbury station
in Buckinghamshire; the platform was on the right, and the grassy
mound indicates its location. Volunteers from the Chinnor &
Princes Risborough Railway dismantled it in August 2009, and
we suspect they are using it to restore their platform at Princes
Risborough. A newly dedicated bridleway (see the story below)
is immediately behind the photographer, on the opposite side
of the road from where he was standing. March 2017. (Tim Grose) |
March
2017. Fulwell & Westbury, Buckinghamshire. News
has just arrived of a new railway-based bridleway in Buckinghamshire
on the Banbury to Verney Junction branch of the Buckinghamshire
Railway, following a decision on 27th October 2015 by the Planning
Inspectorate acting for Defra (the Department of the Enviroment,
Food and Rural Affairs). An application for a bridleway order
was first made in December 2010, but the inspector, Peter Millman,
found that '... the Order route was used by the public for walking
and riding for the whole of the period 1983 to 2003, as of right
and without interruption. There is not sufficient evidence to
show that there was no intention, during that period, to dedicate
it as a public right of way. Dedication is deemed to have occurred.'
The route starts at grid reference SP 627347 (just west of the
site of Fulwell
& Westbury station) and is now shown as a bridleway
on OSmaps as far as the bridge at SP 626348 over the River Great
Ouse, which is the county boundary with Oxfordshire. However,
evidence at the inquiry showed that locals had been using the
old line as far as a bridleway crossing of the trackbed, believed
to be that at SP 617352. The total distance is ¾ mile, but,
combined with local footpaths and bridleways, the practical
usefulness of the route is more than this short distance might
suggest. (Tim Grose and Jeff Vinter)
March
2017. Fort William to Inverness, Highland, Scotland.
If you are interested in model railways and 'might have beens'
from history, then read on. Love Productions aim to make a new
TV series for Channel 4 in which they construct the world's
longest model railway – along the Great Glen Way in Scotland.
Victorian engineers and speculators dreamt of building this
link, but contemporary railway companies refused to cooperate
and it never happened. However, now it is on its way –
only in miniature. We daresay the proximity of the Caledonian
Canal and its towpath was a factor in choosing this route. For
further details, please see the flier here.
(Rob Davidson)
March
2017. Waterford to Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland.
Saturday 25th March saw the official opening of the 31 mile
long Waterford Greenway, which re-uses the eastern section of
the Great Southern & Western Railway's former line from
Waterford to Mallow. The trail is open to walkers and cyclists,
and includes three viaducts, Ballyvoyle Tunnel, countless fine
views and some waterside sections between Durrow and Dungarvan.
The route – promoted by its own website (www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com)
– has been constructed to a very high standard, and cycle
hire facilities are already springing up. Further rail trails
in Ireland can be expected in the coming years, so – if
you're feeling glum about the dearth of funding for new routes
in the UK – head west across the Irish Sea! Another positive
factor is that this route survived to be re-used because Irish
Rail did not sell off the trackbed in small sections to the
highest bidder. (Tim Stannard)
March
2017. Bennerley Viaduct, Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire.
Bennerley Viaduct is approaching a crucial stage in its regeneration,
and a 'friends' group has been set up to assist. A huge amount
has been achieved so far, and interested members of the public
were invited to attend the first Annual General Meeting of the
Friends of Bennerley Viaduct at The Gate Inn, Main Street, Awsworth,
Nottingham, NG16 2RN on Monday 10th April at 7:00 pm. (Kieran
Lee)
March
2017. Langport West to Muchelney, Somerset. The popular
mile-long railway path from Langport to Muchelney follows part
of the former GWR branch line from Langport to Yeovil, but its
days might be numbered. The route belongs to two private landowners
who, under the terms of a licence, receive an annual fee from
South Somerset District Council for allowing public access,
though not as a right of way. The gradual reduction of funding
from central to local government means that South Somerset DC
can no longer afford to pay for the licences, the first of which
will expire at the end of March 2018. Further details are available
in this
article from the 'Somerset Live' website. (Tim Chant)
March
2017. Hawkhurst to Paddock Wood, Kent. It's been a
few years since we reported anything about this line (December
2011 and September 2012,
to be precise), but we have just received news that something
is happening with the proposed 'Hop Pickers Line', which sought
to provide a multi uses route along the old SECR branch. This
is the text of a report published on the Tunbridge
Wells website in January this year: 'New directional finger
posts and a monolith mark the first stage of a way-marking and
interpretation scheme which will eventually follow the route
taken by the steam railway that used to bring hop pickers to
the rural communities of Paddock Wood, Horsmonden, Goudhurst,
Cranbrook and Hawkhurst. The scheme, which celebrates the heritage
of hop picking in this area, has been developed by the Hop Pickers
Line Heritage Group. Working in partnership with the Group,
the Council [presumably Kent CC] secured funding for the project
from Section 106 money which comes from contributions from developments
including the solar farm at Paddock Wood, where the first posts
and monolith have been installed. The first stage was formally
opened at the beginning of December by Chair of Paddock Wood
Town Council Elizabeth Thomas, who is also a borough councillor.
The plan is for the specially designed directional finger posts,
monoliths and information panels to be placed at points all
along the route of the railway where public rights of way cross
the line.' At the project's inception, it was intended that
the Hop Pickers Line would follow the course of the old railway,
and there is nothing here to suggest otherwise. If you want
to read about local conservation of the railway infrastructure
on the branch, there's enough in the links here
for a PhD thesis! (Greg Beecroft)
March
2017. Yatton to Clevedon, Somerset. There are serious
plans to extend the Cheddar-Yatton section of the railway-based
Strawberry Line from Yatton to Clevedon. North Somerset Council
owns the land from Yatton to where the railway passes under
the M5 motorway, and has permission from the government's 'transport
people' (presumably the Highways Agency) to use the sub-motorway
tunnel as part of the trail. Beyond the M5, John Grimshaw, the
founder of Sustrans, is in positive conversations with Clevedon
Council about using the former railway land north of the tunnel.
North Somerset Council has received money for the improvement
of such trails, and the Strawberry Line Society is pursuing
that. Writing to the Webmaster, our correspondent remarked,
'When it will be open is another matter, but I will try to keep
you informed'. (Irene Threasher, Strawberry Line Society)
March 2017. Stalbridge
to Poole, Dorset. The latest newsletter from the North Dorset
Trailway, which aims to recover and re-use the Dorset part of
the famous Somerset & Dorset Railway as a multi-use trail,
will be found here.
It discusses all of the 'missing links', but readers will quickly
appreciate the scale of the problem that faces the Dorset local
authorities and their supporters when they see the size of the
figures. As with similar projects around the country, the underlying
cause is the government's continuing austerity agenda, and especially
former Chancellor Osborne's 85% cut in funding for walking and
cycling schemes, which came into effect almost a year ago. The
2015 figures for walking and cycling accidents are not yet available,
but the 2014 figures made for sombre reading, and there is no
reason to expect that another year will have changed anything.
The calculations which put a price on each fatality now take
into account the lost economic output of the deceased, which
means that a young person's death is usually costed at over
£1 million. So, on the one hand, we've got a big cost associated
with building safe routes, but on the other we've got a big
cost arising from not having safe routes. There is a connection
here. (Jeff Vinter) |
|
Above:
Radstock West Engine Shed. The Somerset & Avon Railway
has long gone, and now Radstock's best hope for re-connection
with the national rail network is via the North Somerset Railway,
which hopes to bring back trains to the former Frome-Radstock
line. (The NSR will have its work cut out because the permanent
way has suffered settlement, while the rails and sleepers are
in poor condition.) The different colours in the stonework suggest
that the engine shed was built initially as a three-bay structure,
with two additional bays (in darker stone) being added later at
the far end. 11th March 2017. (Jeff Vinter) |
March
2017. Radstock to Frome, Somerset. On a club walk from
Radstock to Frome on 11th March, it was found that the Radstock-Frome
leg of Colliers Way (NCN24) no longer starts in the town's backstreets,
off Meadow View, but from the site of the former Radstock West
station, which is being re-developed. The new start point is
the roundabout at grid reference ST 690548; walkers and cyclists
making for Frome should head south from here along Nelson Ward
Drive. At ST 693544, the new section of trail passes Radstock
West's former engine shed, which volunteers are restoring; they
told club members that its new use will be as a café, but it
is such a large building that a lot more could be accommodated
there. (Jeff Vinter)
March 2017. Leaderfoot
Viaduct, Borders. The permissive path over Leaderfoot Viaduct
(grid reference NT 574347) is now closed. The viaduct was repaired
at considerable expense in the early 1990s, but appears to have
passed into the hands of the Highways Agency's Historic Railways
Estate – which is extremely averse to risks. (Richard
Bain)
March 2017. Midhurst
to Petersfield, West Sussex/Hampshire. Some years ago, West
Sussex County Council announced an aspirational plan for a trail
along the former railway lines that ran east and west of Midhurst,
to Pulborough and Petersfield respectively. Nothing came of
this, but interest in the potential of the old railways around
Midhurst as traffic-free trails has increased with the arrival
of the South Downs National Park Authority, which is extending
the railway-based Centurion Way that comes up from Chichester
(to the south). When that trail reaches Midhurst, maybe something
will be done with the other lines that served the town. On that
subject, the Historic Railways Estate of Highways England, which
owns a skew bridge on the Midhurst-Petersfield line, has applied
recently to Chichester District Council to 'underpack' it and
effectively render it useless for any future trail. CDC has
rejected the application, but now HRE has taken its case to
appeal. (Jeff Vinter)
March 2017.
Dunster
to Blue Anchor, Somerset. Further to our report in November
2016, the 'Steam Trailway' between Dunster and Blue Anchor
(actually the first part of a longer intended trailway from
Williton to Minehead) has run into trouble. The trail is now
in place from Dunster Beach to within three-quarters of a mile
of the promenade at Blue Anchor, but there local chalet owners
– insisting that the public footpath across their land
has been mis-signed for years – have blocked it, forcing
an inconvenient detour via the steeply banked shingle beach.
This is extremely difficult for anyone on a bicycle, and virtually
impossible for a parent pushing a child in a buggy. Local RR
member Ivor Sutton is one the case, with both local and national
help from the Ramblers’ Association; he has collected
over 130 written objections so far, which all include evidence
of unfettered access to the route for 20 years or more. It is
hoped that this may result in the case reaching Somerset CC’s
Rights of Way Committee a little sooner than might other wise
be the case. (Jeff Vinter)
February
2017. Ashton Gate to opposite Sea Mills, Bristol. With
the branch line to Portishead set to re-open throughout by 2020
(thus rendering even the westernmost section from Portbury Dock
Junction to Portishead an absolute non-starter for a railway
path), readers might like to know that the River Avon Trail
runs parallel to the line from grid reference ST 566722 at Ashton
Gate to ST 548755 opposite Sea Mills (on the other side of the
river), a distance of 3¼ miles. Along the way, the trail passes
beneath the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge, which was a highlight
of a rail trip down the branch enjoyed by the Webmaster in 1974
when freight services were still running. (Regular passenger
trains were withdrawn on 7th September 1964.) West of ST 548755,
the trail leaves the railway for a long loop around the river,
but returns to it above Pill Tunnel, whence it follows the railway
less precisely to Portbury, variously as the River Avon Trail,
NCN41 and NCN26. Recent
project maps show definite new/replacement stations on the
branch at both Portishead and Pill, plus a 'possible new station
(subject to business case)' at Ashton Gate. Portbury is going
to be unlucky in that no new station is planned there, which
is slightly odd: Portbury may be a small village and not far
from the proposed stations at Pill and Portishead, but it is
right by Junction 19 of the M5 which would have suggested a
parkway station. There are no plans to replace the former halts
at Clifton Bridge and Ham Green, but that is much less surprising.
(Keith Holliday and Jeff Vinter)
Update: On
9th March 2017, MetroWest announced that the cost estimate
for re-opening the Portishead branch to passengers had risen
from £58m to between £145m and £175m. Some increase had been
expected, but the breathtaking scale of this has caused shock
and incredulity: the line has already been rebuilt between
Parson Street Junction and Royal Portbury Dock; the extension
from Portbury Dock Junction to Portishead is barely 3 miles
long (and owned by Network Rail already); and local authorities
have purchased the land required for the new stations at Pill
and Portishead. NR says that additional costs have been identified
under the Governance for Rail Investment Projects (GRIP) process,
including 'an increase in the scope of the works through the
Avon Gorge'. Local councils have also identified additional
costs, including alternative road access to Ashton Vale Trading
Estate, associated land acquisition and environmental mitigation.
But would an equivalent road-building scheme have to struggle
against the same budget-busting constraints? (Ivor Sutton
and Jeff Vinter)
February 2017.
Donyatt, Somerset. We are pleased to report that the
timber halt at Donyatt, on the Taunton to Chard Junction in
Somerset, is to be restored following its destruction by arsonists
on 25th November 2015. (Keith Holliday)
February
2017. Catesby, Northamptonshire. After many years as
a waterlogged lost cause, Catesby Tunnel on the former Great
Central main line to London is to be used for vehicle testing.
If this happens, it might be possible to visit occasionally
if the owners are amenable, as happens with Pinnock Tunnel (owned
by Imerys) on the Par to Fowey line in Cornwall. (Keith Holliday)
February 2017.
Glasgow Central, Strathclyde. Earlier this month, the
BBC published a brief report
on Glasgow's 'ghost station', which turns out to be an underground
platform beneath Glasgow Central. There are plans to restore
the platform to how it looked in its heyday, no doubt as a result
of thousands of people having visited in recent years on official
tours. If you wish to join them, you can book yourself on to
a tour by following the link here;
they run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, and it is good
to see that Network Rail is one of the promoters – clearly
making constructive use of some old railway infrastructure.
If British Rail had done the same, what might we still have
today? (Keith Holliday and Jeff Vinter)
February
2017. Stourbridge Junction to Lichfield, West Midlands/Staffordshire.
The largely disused railway from Stourbridge Junction to Lichfield
via Brierley Hill, Dudley Castle Hill, Sandwell, Walsall and
Brownhills is the subject of a re-opening proposal, partly to
encourage people away from local roads and partly to ease rail
congestion at Birmingham New Street. S.K. Baker's Rail Atlas
(13th edition) shows this route as a combination of freight
and disused lines, although some re-construction would be necessary
in the Brownhills area; the overall objective is to provide
a through route from Worcester to Derby. The Conservatives'
West Midlands Mayoral candidate for Dudley, Andy Street, explained:
'I want passenger trains back on this line. If up and running
it would connect the east and the west of the Black Country
without the need for trains to pass through Birmingham New Street
station. The problem with the train network in the West Midlands
is the congestion at New Street; it does not have the capacity
to take more local trains. We are in talks with Network Rail
and West Midlands Combined Authority about the prospect of reopening
this line, [which] is exactly the type of project that as mayor
of the West Midlands I will be trying to get funding [for]".
The overgrown tracks between Brierley Hill and Wednesbury (Great
Western Street) are already being cleared of plants and trees
so that structural and environmental surveys can be carried
out. This section is likely to return to use first, as an extension
to the Midland Metro network. It certainly makes a change for
a disused line to become a railway rather than a trailway! (Tim
Chant)
February 2017.
Nationwide. On Saturday 11th February, The Times published
an interesting article under the rather wordy title, 'No-frills
mini trains offer route to reopening lines that Beeching shut'.
The story began thus:
'A new generation of
“no-frills” trains is being manufactured under
plans to open up little-used branch lines closed by Dr Beeching
in the 1960s. Ultra-cheap trains powered by truck engines,
built using lightweight materials and running at low speeds,
may be introduced within the next two years as part of a £4
million trial. The trains, which could be shorter than a conventional
bus, will be manufactured at half the cost of an existing
carriage and cause less damage to tracks. Rail chiefs insisted
that reducing overheads would make it easier to maintain loss-making
branch lines on which passenger numbers were low.'
The report identified a
number of lines on which these vehicles might appear, namely
Thornton-Leven, Ashington-Newcastle, Burton-Leicester, Wisbech-March,
Bristol-Portishead, Bere Alston-Tavistock and Aberystwyth-Carmarthen.
Given that the article was written by Graham Paton, the newspaper's
Transport Correspondent, it did beg a few questions. For example,
how would these routes be re-acquired for rail use, and what
would happen to properties built on former trackbeds? Also,
given that the authorities have consistently under-estimated
the demand for reinstated rail services, most recently in the
case of the Borders Railway, who says that passenger numbers
are going to be low – especially on trains out of Portishead
and Tavistock? One might think that Mr Paton had never heard
of the time-devouring and patience-busting road commute either
from Portishead to Bristol, or from Tavistock to Plymouth. (Michael
Sherman)
February 2017.
Radstock to Frome, Somerset. Regular visitors to this
site will know that Frome's Missing Links (FML) is the local
community-based group working to extend the Radstock-Great Elm
leg of Colliers Way (NCN24) into Frome – not via roads,
as at present, but via a new, purpose-built traffic-free and
level route to Frome's town centre and railway station. On 10th
February, FML published the news that it had become an independent
charity; the principal reasons were to apply for grants in its
own right, and accept donations (hopefully with gift aid). The
group also announced that it had just been awarded a little
over £48,000 by the Heart of Wessex Local Action Group, which
will be used to erect fencing and carry out groundwork improvements
for Phase 2 of the 'missing link'. Recently, it extended its
appeals from just money and volunteer labour to include materials:
CPM Ltd of Mells responded magnificently by donating pipes which
will be used to construct a drain through an embankment, while
Graham Lock of Murtry Hill Farm transported the pipes to the
site. What FML needs now is supporters, and to this end has
re-designed its website
and is inviting members of the public to join the campaign.
Membership is free, but it is important that FML obtains 'critical
mass' to demonstrate widespread support. You can become a member
at fromesmissinglinks.org.uk/how-to-help/become-a-member.
We thoroughly commend this vibrant and effective community group.
Frome is a wonderfully idiosyncratic town – a significant
part of the centre is mediaeval (pay it a visit) – and
its residents are a determined bunch. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
This photograph of the deck of Network Rail's new crossing
of the Bristol main line at Bath, Bellott's Road, shows why February
is not the nation's favourite month; although the photographer
and Webmaster live 95 miles apart, their respective views in Bath
and Chichester were equally cheerless. It is much to NR's credit
that the new bridge incorporates parts of the former viaduct,
and looks like it thanks to the use of blue engineering bricks
– not that they look very blue here, just drab! 3rd February
2017. (Matt Skidmore) |
February
2017. Bath to Midford, Somerset. Further to our progress
report in January, Network Rail have now completed work
on the former S&D viaduct over the Bristol main line at
Bath, Bellotts Road, and re-opened it to walkers and cyclists
using the popular Two Tunnels Trail. During the works, NR converted
the former three-span viaduct into a single-span bridge. (Matt
Skidmore)
January
2017. Craven Arms to Llanelli (Shropshire/Powys/Dyfed).
Anyone familiar with the railways of Wales will recognise this
as the Heart of Wales line (i.e. definitely not a railway path),
whose escape from closure during the 1960s and 1970s verged
on the miraculous. For many years, ramblers have used the trains
to undertake scenic walks from one station to another, and this
traffic is now so well established that the local train operator,
Arriva, offers bona fide walk leaders free tickets.
On Monday 16th January, BBC Wales ran a story about a feasibility
study that has been carried out to create a long distance path
between Craven Arms and Llanelli. The route has been trialled
and will link up with other paths such as the South Wales Coastal
Path and the Offa's Dyke Path. Further details are available
from the BBC
Wales website, and apparently funding is now being sought
for signage, etc. (Brian Stone and Chris Parker)
January 2017. Sutton
Scotney, Hampshire. Further to our report in July
2016, we have just learned that the re-development of the
station site at Sutton Scotney (on the former Didcot, Newbury
& Southampton Railway) will see the old goods shed swept
away. When one looks at what the people of Tetbury
have achieved with their abandoned goods shed, it makes one
wish that the developers in Hampshire had more imagination.
The removal of this sizeable building helps to explain how they
will cram 28 new homes into the site. (Marcus Heap)
January 2017. Bettisfield
to Fenn's Bank, Wrexham County Borough (Clwyd). A 3½ mile railway
path exists along much of the trackbed between these two stations
on the Cambrian Railways' former line from Whitchurch to Ellesmere
and Oswestry. As an aside, Ordnance Survey's online mapping
gives the postal address of both Bettisfield and Fenn's Bank
as Shropshire after the nearest postal town (Whitchurch), but
historically this area was a detached part of Flintshire. (Bill
Bryson, who has written to comic effect about the idiosyncrasies
of the UK's local government arrangements, would love all this.)
At the Bettisfield end, access is from SJ 461358 (off the main
lane through the village); at the Fenn's Bank end, industrial
premises occupy the trackbed, so the sensible course is to leave
the trackbed via the footpath at SJ 504387. The old railway
forms part of the Fenn's,
Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve,
which had a lot of waymarked paths installed back in 2001. What
is especially convenient about this trail is that the Llangollen
Canal also links Bettisfield and Fenn's Bank, so the railway
and canal can be used to provide a circular walk of a little
under 8 miles. As a bonus, the stations at both Bettisfield
and Fenn's Bank survive as private homes. For further details,
click here.
(Keith Holliday) |
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Above:
Network Rail are making good progress on re-modelling
the former Somerset & Dorset Railway's three-arched viaduct
over the GWR main line at Bellotts Road, Bath. As can be seen,
the nearest and furthest arches have been infilled and bricked
up, while the central span has been raised to allow overhead power
lines to go through in the near future. The shape of the S&D
brickwork has been retained, as can be seen from the foreground,
but the parapets have been raised – which would be necessary
if the interior deck had been raised as well, which we think likely.
7th January 2017. (Bob Spalding) |
January
2017. Bath to Midford, Somerset. Contributor:
'Today I walked along the S&D trail from Midford to the
outskirts of Bath and got as far as the bridge carrying the
S&D over the GWR maiin line. They are making good progress
and I took some pictures to bring RR up to date. I am no expert
on these things and don’t know the story behind the choices
made about the bridge, but it seemed to be heavily over-engineered
for what it carries, a pedestrian and cycle trail. What would
your thoughts be?' Webmaster: 'Heavily
over-engineered? What, by Network Rail? I don't know what you
mean. Surely you're exaggerating? Seriously, I know exactly
what you mean. As railway enthusiasts, we can be grateful that
they are making such a sympathetic job of the work, but I think
that the original S&D viaduct/bridge was not listed (it
was no thing of beauty), so one must wonder about the necessity
of such an expensive solution. One can argue that the new bridge
will last a very long time, and that time will make the cost
seem less extravagant. Possibly, the planning conditions required
NR to replace like with like.' (Bob Spalding and Jeff Vinter)
January 2017. Usk,
Monmouthshire. Usk featured in these pages in both 2015 and
2016 in connection with a proposed rail trail from near the
town to Little Mill Junction, following closure of the freight
line from the Royal Ordnance Factory at Glascoed, This time,
Usk is in the news for its 256 yard tunnel, which Gwyn Smith,
Sustrans’ area manager for South East Wales, has shortlisted
as a priority for opening to pedestrians and cyclists partly
because it would give direct access to Usk Primary School, avoiding
the A472. The Usk Trail Access Group (UTAG) has been working
to improve walking and cycling routes in the area for several
years now, and its Chairman – Matthew Hamer – remarked
that 'It would be great to see funding go into making a proper
route for the tunnel, as it’ll link with what we are doing
[between Little Mill and Glascoed].' (Tim
Chant)
January
2017. Carmarthen to Llandeilo, Dyfed (Carmarthenshire).
Carmarthenshire County Council intends to re-open parts of the
trackbed of the former LNWR Carmarthen to Llandeilo branch as
a multi-use trail. A start has been made already between Fronun
and Bwlch Bach, near Abergwili, but this section is alongside
a road; the rest is intended to be on the old railway, and traffic-free.
The next phase will see a path created between White Mill and
Nantgaredig at the western end of the line, The 16 mile route
will follow the River Tywi linking major tourist attractions;
it is expected to generate between £860,000 and £2 million for
the local economy every year, while providing locals with healthy
and sustainable travel options. Councillor Hazel Evans, the
council's Executive Board Member for the Environment, said:
'I am delighted that we have been able to start work on the
Tywi Valley Path which will cost between £5 and £8 million and
will be developed in phases, depending on funding.' So far,
the costs are being met from a
Local Transport Fund grant of £581,600 which was given to improve
walking and cycling links in the county. Unfortunately, local
farmers oppose the scheme. Their spokesman appears to be one
William Richard Lloyd Davies, who cites flooding of the trail
as a risk and says it should go alongside the A40, or use NCN47
– which is actually the B4300. (Tim Chant)
January 2017.
Porth Penrhyn, Bangor, to Bethesda and Llyn Ogwen, Gwynedd.
Following on from our report in July
2016, BBC Wales announced on New Year's Day that the 275
metre Tregarth Tunnel is now 'shovel ready', and Lôn Las Ogwen
should be diverted through it – and open to walkers and
cyclists – by April 2017. A spokesman for Gwynedd County
Council described the tunnel as offering a 'level and direct
alternative to a steep climb and a road'. He remarked that what
the council learns from this scheme, and how it is run over
the next couple of years, will have a big impact on projects
to open larger tunnels elsewhere in Wales. (Graeme Bickerdike
and Keith Holliday)
Update: On
27th February, the club was informed that work had started
on converting Tregarth Tunnel for its new role, so the planned
opening by April looks distinctly achievable. (Keith Holliday)
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Above:
The former Tetbury goods shed in the course of conversion
into a modern community centre; note the glazed gable end, which
now permits natural light to flood into the building. This picture
appeared initially on the Geograph
website, and the photographer's superb caption is worth quoting
in full: 'The classic GWR standard goods shed, built in their
hundreds all over the system. This fine example at Tetbury, dating
from 1889, was in use until 1st July 1965, when the line finally
closed for goods as far as the terminus. The passenger service
had ended on 4th April 1964. For many years after closure it was
the base of a coal distributors. You will read elsewhere that
"no trace of the station remains", but if you have a treasured
copy of Paul Karau's Great Western Branch Line Termini of
1977 as I do, you can trace the outlines of all of the buildings.
You can even go so far as to make accurate scale models of all
of them, using the author's superb scale drawings. As I write,
the large cattle dock which adjoins the shed is being rebuilt
behind the fence on the left, using reclaimed materials.' 4th
February 2016. (Paul Pankhurst used under the terms of this Creative
Commons Licence) |
January
2017. Tetbury, Gloucestershire. HRH Price Charles visited
Tetbury on Friday 23rd December to open the restored Tetbury
Goods Shed, which the following day – Christmas Eve –
hosted the town's packed-out annual carol concert. Residents
who had attended previous concerts in the then unrestored building
were delighted by the brightly-lit, and heated, new community
centre which it has become. Prince Charles, who lives at nearby
Highgrove House, was part of an early discussion group in the
1990s which met around the fire of the local Royal Oak pub to
consider what might be done with the old building, which is
now Tetbury's principal link to its railway past. The other
link, of course, is the town's
rail trail, which was doubled in length late last year.
(Tim Chant)
January 2017. Aylsham
to Norwich via Reepham, Norfolk. On 29th December, the Eastern
Daily Press published an article about a new mobile phone 'app'
which will give visitors an 'augmented reality history' of Marriotts
Way; it has been made possible thanks to a £455,000 grant from
the Heritage Lottery Fund. The route was chosen because it is
Norfolk's best-used long distance trail. Martin Wilby, chairman
of Norfolk County Council's Environment, Development and Transport
Committee, explained: 'It’s a race against time to preserve
memories of the historic route, so the project will be recording
and preserving the first-hand accounts of people who used to
work and travel on, and live nearby, the old railway line. Overall
our aim is to help people to better understand the industrial
past of the trail and encourage them to appreciate and explore
the haven for nature and recreation on their doorsteps that
it is today.' (Keith
Holliday) |
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