Closed Railway Lines

[205028]

Hi I'm new to this forum so forgive me if there is already a topic on this.I like to spend some of my spare time looking for closed railway lines and seeing what remains of them it's amazing what you can find.My favourite one of these has to be the Somerset & Dorset line i have been to most of the Station sites on the main line but i have not done any of it's Branch lines yet. The lines i have visited so far are in the south of England and too many to list but i would like to do some in other areas at some point. Do you like dicovering closed lines? Are there any you would recommend visiting? Over to you

Marvin

[craigy]

Hi Marvin, i live in North Wales and there are quite a few closed lines and stations that no longer exist but some remnants of track, platforms or even station buildings still remain. Where i live thare used to be a branch line that went of the North Wales coast just otside Rhyl and went Through Kinmel Bay where i live up to Denbigh, I think, needless to say the track bed is still pretty much the same and in some places there is still sleepers in place, but no track at all. It is quite easy to follow the path and still see its course. Ther are plenty of disused platforms along the line that would fasinate you. Brian

[kieranhardy]

One of my favourites has to be on a section of the "Old road" between Holmsley and Ringwood, near Brockenhurst in Hampshire. Have walked and cycled it many times, fantastic scenery as it runs through the New Forest. Although i havent walked any of the route, it seems there is a lot of remains of the old M&GNR in Norfolk. Lost count the number of times we drove under an old bridge or could see the natural outline of the trees following an old trackbed. I would have thought there's still quite a bit of the old Isle of Wight network too?

[205028]

Hi Marvin, i live in North Wales and there are quite a few closed lines and stations that no longer exist but some remnants of track, platforms or even station buildings still remain. Where i live thare used to be a branch line that went of the North Wales coast just otside Rhyl and went Through Kinmel Bay where i live up to Denbigh, I think, needless to say the track bed is still pretty much the same and in some places there is still sleepers in place, but no track at all. It is quite easy to follow the path and still see its course. Ther are plenty of disused platforms along the line that would fasinate you. Brian

Hi Brian sounds very intresting in deed.I have an aunt who lives in Mid Wales next time i'm up that way i may take a look.

Marvin

[205028]

One of my favourites has to be on a section of the "Old road" between Holmsley and Ringwood, near Brockenhurst in Hampshire. Have walked and cycled it many times, fantastic scenery as it runs through the New Forest. Although i havent walked any of the route, it seems there is a lot of remains of the old M&GNR in Norfolk. Lost count the number of times we drove under an old bridge or could see the natural outline of the trees following an old trackbed. I would have thought there's still quite a bit of the old Isle of Wight network too?

Hi kieran Have you ever done the bit through Ashley Heath? If you haven't part of the up platform remains and the local residents have re-placed the concrete station sign.

Marvin

[geezertronic]

Have you checked out the program "Railway Walks" presented by Julia Bradbury (Watchdog)? It is also available on BBC iPlayer so you can watch again.

[ilovequo]

Hi

Have you looked at this site http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/sites.shtml - not exactly closed railway lines but more on disused railway station

I live in Shipley in West Yorkshire and just after Christmas I followed what used to be Keighley to Bradford Exchange via Queensbury line

[kieranhardy]

One of my favourites has to be on a section of the "Old road" between Holmsley and Ringwood, near Brockenhurst in Hampshire. Have walked and cycled it many times, fantastic scenery as it runs through the New Forest. Although i havent walked any of the route, it seems there is a lot of remains of the old M&GNR in Norfolk. Lost count the number of times we drove under an old bridge or could see the natural outline of the trees following an old trackbed. I would have thought there's still quite a bit of the old Isle of Wight network too?

Hi kieran Have you ever done the bit through Ashley Heath? If you haven't part of the up platform remains and the local residents have re-placed the concrete station sign.

Marvin

I havent, but i have seen pictures on the web many times.

Have you checked out the program "Railway Walks" presented by Julia Bradbury (Watchdog)? It is also available on BBC iPlayer so you can watch again.

It is also on Amazon for £11.98.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Railway-Walks-J ... 171&sr=8-3

I have also noticed this programme called "Along these lines" which focuses on closed railways from the southern region.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Along-These-Lin ... 171&sr=8-1

Not massively cheap but i really am tempted to buy the dvd, the first programme on the Castlemans Corkscrew looks very interesting. Anyone who does live in the south who gets ITV Meridian, and watched these programmes, were they any good?

Cheers,

[wertyuv]

A nice one to cycle is the old Bristol-Bath section. This goes via North Bristol and then ends up in the centre of Bristol. Also a section is preserved between the River Avon at Keynsham and Bitton near Bath. I have cycled a fair few times and it never gets boring

[exshunter]

There are a couple of walks i frequent now and again in Somerset. The first is a small section of the line(roughly a mile) that ran to Bridgwater North Station (a branch from the S and D Evercreech to Highbridge line) . It makes for a pleasent walk /cycle ride and starts at Cossington. The second is the Strawberry line ( Gwr branch from Yatton to Witham). As far as i know you can walk from Axbridge to Sandford and it's always fun walking through Shute Shelve tunnel !

[GlennMitchell]

Another good one is the Scarborough-Whitby cycle ride. I know that at least some of this is old railway line.

http://www.moortoseacycle.net/

I did part of this before with a friend (not the whole thing) and I found it very enjoyable.

Glenn

[pauls]

My vote goes to the Cromford & High Peak Railway in Derbyshire. This was a very early railway with rope operated inclines using a stationary steam engine. One of these engines and its building is still in place at Middleton Top and is run on compressed air once a month - well worth seeing !! You can also see the remains of the wheels and steel rope at the bottom of the incline.
At Cromford the old engine workshop survives complete with original tools and fish belly section track - a video of the line in operation can also be seen here.
You can hire a cycle or walk the route to Parsley Hay where it joins with the High Peak Trail. The C&HPR originally ran from Cromford to Whaley Bridge near Stockport and was built in the very early 1800's and survived until 1968. The scenery is amazing and there are many more remains along the line. Be warned though - addiction to the line and its history is impossible to resist

Cheers
Paul

[GlennMitchell]

Of course there's always the woodhead route in the peak district as well. The station platforms are still there at woodhead (or at least one of them is from what I remember.)

Glenn

[205028]

A nice one to cycle is the old Bristol-Bath section. This goes via North Bristol and then ends up in the centre of Bristol. Also a section is preserved between the River Avon at Keynsham and Bitton near Bath. I have cycled a fair few times and it never gets boring

One station i would like to visit is Mangotsfield i believe its platforms still remain. Does anything else survive there?

[kieranhardy]

For anyone who is really interested in railway walks, specially of the southern variety, I would 100% reccomend this DVD:

http://www.alongtheselines.co.uk/index.php

http://www.alongtheselines.co.uk/episodes.php

Personally i rate it far higher than "Railway Walks with Julia Bradbury" which aired last year.

"Along these Lines" focuses much more on the railway's past where as the other one seemed to diverge on non railway related places, equally as interesting to most people but personally i'm more interested in railway related places!

Amazon sell Along these Lines for about £20, quite pricey for a DVD but well worth it in my opinion, specially as my favourite railway walk is featured.