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| Lundy Tramways (Part 2). On the east side of Lundy, granite was extracted from a series of quarries and taken to sea level by an upper and lower tramway, and no fewer than three inclined planes. The Lundy Granite Company was formed in 1863 but never prospered. It was bedevilled by late deliveries, which is hardly surprising given Lundy's exposed position in the Bristol Channel and the difficulty of getting the granite to the mainland. Disputes about mis-measured stones were another matter, though, and suggest a lack of what we would now call 'quality control' – a problem exacerbated, perhaps, by the failure of any director of the company ever to visit the island. Work in the quarries had ceased by 1868, and with that operations on the tramways and inclines came to an end as well. Lundy granite was used extensively around the island, but can also be found in the 19th century parish church at Westward Ho! (Holy Trinity), where it was used to face the building. | ||
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| Above: Looking across Halfway Wall Bay towards the south, the ledge on which the Lundy Granite Company constructed its upper tramway can be seen clearly. Two quarries can be seen above the line, in shadow, and presumably the large pieces of stone littering the slopes below are cast-offs of inferior quality. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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| Above: The upper tramway is very well defined, as can be seen above, and in places the impressions left by the sleepers are still visible. The grass on the trackbed is kept short by Soay sheep, which live wild on the island. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: In several places along its course, the upper tramway features granite-faced embankments on the seaward side. In the distance on the left can be seen the landing beach at the south eastern tip of the island where, between March and October each year, the island's supply ship MV Oldenburg arrives from Ilfracombe or Bideford. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: The impressions left by the sleepers are particularly clear in this view approaching the main dressing platform at the south end of the line. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: Along the length of the tramway, quarries will be found on the west side of the line. Each quarry is shown clearly on the map accessible on the next page, this one being Quarry C, not far from the dressing platform. There are six quarries altogether, identified as F to A from north to south. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: The quarry seen here is possibly the most sheltered on the island and, as can be seen, has evolved into something of a nature reserve since industrial activity ceased in the late 1860s. The pond is shown in the map on the next page as 'Quarry A Pond', so clearly this is Quarry A. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: Another stone-faced embankment on the line, this time with a near-vertical face. The figure in the photograph is the Webmaster's wife, who was looking out to sea through binoculars for marine life; she spotted a seal and a large jelly fish. The island is a haven for wildlife, and birds especially following the eradication of rats in 2013. The population of Manx shearwaters has increased tenfold since this project was completed – rats are no longer eating the birds' eggs. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: The main dressing platform at the south end of the line features more stone-faced embankments. There were two sets of rails here and a long stone shed where the granite was finsihed prior to lowering down the main incline (out of frame on the left) to sea level. The timber structure visible in the picture is a Heligoland trap, which is used for capturing and ringing birds. The flowers so much in evidence are thrift or 'sea pinks', which are found more commonly on the west side of the island. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: An artist's impression of the dressing platform when in use in the 1860s. The stone shed used for the dressing work and the top of the incline are both prominent. At the bottom of the photograph, just right of centre, a rectangular piece of finished granite sits on a wagon, waiting to descend to sea level. The wagons had one pair of wheels lower than the other in order to keep them level on the descent. The original of this image will be found in the barn in the main village street, roughly opposite the island's shop. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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| Above: The top of the incline at the south end of the upper tramway; compare this image with the artist's drawing above. The large circular cavities on the right once held the winding drums. 25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) | ||
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