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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Left:
This view down the incline to the landing platform
at sea level shows – just – the incision made
through the cliffs to provide a track at a consistent gradient.
Unfortunately, the ferns love this spot and grow so tall
that they disguise the extent of the engineering work carried
out here. The large, square-topped piece of granite in the
middle of the picture matches the one in the artist's impression
above, but presumably it is not still sitting on a wagon!
25th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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