Closed lines walked or former railway sites / stations visited

[rf_ioliver]

I think I've walked most of the closed lines around Pontypridd-Llantrisant and down to Cowbridge, eg: Trefforest/Cilfynydd via Tonteg Junction (and the pre1930 station) to Efail Isaf, Creigau, Rhiwsaeson, Llantrisant. Most of Llantristan (now Pontyclun) to Cowbridge. Taffs Well to Caerffili, the Nantgarw branch (nothing existed north of the Nantgarw site) and the line from Caerffili via Rhydyfelen to Pontypridd. Quite a few of tunnels in the area too, eg: under Little Garth and so on.

 

[AJM580]

Done parts of Marriott's Way (Norwich City to Lenwade), also Penarth to Sully via Lavernock,. Norwich Victoria to Trowse Upper Junction. Last summer did sections of the Monsal trail.

 

[THC]

I've walked plenty of old railway lines in Britain, many of which have been already mentioned here, so I won't repeat them. However I headed over to Ireland the week the Déise Greenway opened back in 2017 to walk its length from Dungarvan to Waterford city, built on part of the trackbed of the old Mallow-Waterford line - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterford_Greenway

I plan a return to Ireland later this year to walk from Dublin to Galway and the central part from Mullingar to Athlone will be along the old MGWR line, now also a Greenway - https://greenwaysireland.org/old-rail-trail-westmeath/

The Greenway network is spreading throughout the island so there are others, such as the Great Western Greenway from Westport to Achill - https://www.greenway.ie/ - that I hope to walk in years to come.

THC

 

[Jack Hay]

I think Heswall station (ex-MS&L/GC) was the most westerly LNER station in England/Wales* - further west than Wrexham Central, Connah's Quay or any part of the CLC route to Southport.
The junction with the LNWR north of Stafford was certainly the furthest west of the GNR network.

* most LNER lines west of Edinburgh are further west than any in England/Wales.

I hate to nitpick when it's off-topic but the GNR branch to the GNR goods depot at Manchester Central is further west than Stafford is.

 

[steamybrian]

A very rare closed line I done many years ago with a guide from London Underground was from London Bridge to King William Street closed in 1900. I understand now that the section under the Thames has been blocked up.

Also walked the Welsh Highland Railway from Porthmadog to Caernarvon before re-building work started on the reopening.

Uckfield- Lewes in the early 1970s after track lifting but before sections were sold off.

Three routes walked, with a difference, construction was started and partly built but abandoned before completion-
Chessington South- Leatherhead
Edgware- Bushey Heath
Ouse Valley Line... Balcombe- Uckfield

Other ones with a difference-
Surrey Iron Railway Wandsworth- Croydon
Croydon, Merstham & Godstone including a visit inside the mine at Merstham to see original C.M & G.R. rails in situ.

Finally there are many short branches I have walked such as
Woodside- Addiscombe
Central Croydon branch
Dungeness to Dungeness Jn.

 

[High Dyke]

The GNR Denton ironstone branch, part of which is National Cycle Route 15, and also Brewer's Grave tramway.

Woodhall Spa - Horncastle

Boston - Antons Gowt, part of the Water Rail Way (former Lincoln - Boston line)

Also Barkston South Jn - Barkston East Jn (not publicly accessible)

 

[greyman42]

You can walk or ride the old ECML between York and Selby.

 

[778]

In the UK I have done

• The Parkland Walk (London)
• The Harborne Walkway (Birmingham)
• The Fallowfield Loop (Manchester)
• The Liverpool Loop Line (Northern half as far as West Derby)
• Balerno - Colinton Line (Edinburgh)
• Murrayfield - Leith line (Edinburgh)

When I was in France last year, I walked along several Voies Vertes in and around Lille, which are former railway lines converted to cycle and pedestrian paths.

I have also walked along several "Rail-Trails", as they are called in the United States, in and around Chicago, St Louis and New York, and plan to do more when I return to the US later this year.

Have you ever considered doing Bridgnorth - Ironbridge? I would quite like to do it one day, but not sure where in Bridgnorth the walk starts.

 

[infobleep]

From memory I have done:
West Hoathly Tunnel (prior to reopening)
East Grinstead to Kingscote (when line put back down but before passenger trains running)
Part of Ardingly around the tunnel mouth but not through it.
Workington to Distington (or near to that station. I remember reaching a bridge that was missing, where lines divided)
Guildford to Cranleigh
Rudgewick around Baynards tunnel mouth. (It was open at the time but didn't go in. This would be early 90s I guess.)
Wheatley tunnel near Oxford (went through this in 1999).
Oxford (the former station and some of the line area off this, as well as visiting the listed swing bridge. This would be late 90s prior to redevelopment).
Pentewan (just the area around the beach).
Ash Green to Tongham and possible slightly either side of them.
Stayed at Petworth station and walked the line at the station.
Part of a line near Abergwynant in Wales. There is a bridge I walked on.
I may have done parts of the line around Robin Hood's Bay but not sure if I walked any of the line or just saw it.
Folkestone station area.
The line through Linefield where the Embankment is. This was an abandoned line and never finished so does it count?

There will be some former siding areas I've walked around if we extended it to all kinds of missing track.

I am sure I've done a few others in very short stretches but I can't recall them off hand.

In the Republic of Ireland
Abbeydorney station area
Tralee station area.

That's all I can think of across the world but there may be others.

 

[D6130]

Faslane Junction-Former bridge over the A814. (former Faslane branch)
Crianlarich Lower-Killin Junction (former Callander & Oban line)
Maryhill-Dawsholm (former Caledonian Railway North West Glasgow suburban loop)
West Meon-Wickham (former L&SWR Meon Valley line)
Middleton Top-Cromford Wharf (former Cromford & High Peak line)
Blackhill-Waskerley (former Stanhope & Tyne Railway....including the vertigo-inducing formerly single track Hownes Gill viaduct)
Scarborough-Robin Hood's Bay (former Scarborough-Whitby line)
Hengoed viaduct (former Pontypool Road-Neath line)

and in Ireland:

Newcastle West-Listowel (North Kerry Greenway - former Limerick-Tralee line)

(amongst others)

 

[Tracked]

I'll probably end up adding some more, but off the top of my head (walked/cycled/both):

Bentley Town End-Toll Bar (North Doncaster)
Thorpe Marsh
Conisbrough Viaduct-Balby-Lakeside
The Transpennine Trail, Toll Bar to Hadfield, plus the extension to Stocksbridge
Cortonwood colliery (around half a mile, so quite easy!)
Wombwell-Barnsley

York-Naburn Lock on the old Selby line
Tadcaster-Spofforth
Monsal Trail
Tissington Trail
High Peak Trail
Manifold Way (narrow gauge)
Southwell Trail
Pennine Trail (Staveley-Rother Valley)
Meadowhall-Chapeltown
Duesbery Street-Wilmington (Hull)
Rother Way, Chesterfield (a path goes down the side of the A61 from near the Football ground, based on the old line in Central)
Chesterfield (new) Station-Chatsworth Road

South Queensferry, to Dalmeny station
Ladybower Reservoir-(just outside) Bamford

 

[D6130]

South Queensferry, to Dalmeny station

Yes....done that one too.

 

[bspahh]

The Torpel Way has a nice section from Stamford to Uffington from the Stamford and Essendine railway.

 

[D6130]

More old lines that I have remembered walking:

Newport-Cowes, Yarmouth-Freshwater and Shanklin-Wroxall on the Isle of Wight.

Lancaster-Morecambe via Scale Hall (former electric line).

 

[bspahh]

There was a similar thread a couple of years ago on this topic

Trivia: Abandoned railway lines that have been turned into cycle/footpaths

Abandoned railway lines that were converted to a cycle/footpath. Of the top of my head, I can remember the Bristol - Bath cycle path.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Western Sunset]

Here in Bristol we used to have two old trackbeds to walk, one is now a cyclepath (LMS line to Bath) and the Portishead branch (now mostly back in use) I walked both of them when they were just abandoned trackbeds. Bath Green Park station buildings are mostly still there - worth a look if you're in Bath.
I have also walked part of the Portpatrick branch from the edge of Portpatrick to Dunskey Castle.

And if you drive along the Bristol ring-road (A4174), part of the road is on the formation of the old MR line north of Mangotsfield. I half expect to see a Jubilee steaming down the other carriageway as I tootle along...

 

[JBuchananGB]

A couple I've set foot on, but no-one seems to have mentioned:
Flitch Way: Braintree to Dunmow.
The Way for the Millenium: Stafford to Newport (Salop)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2023 ==

There's also a little bit of track bed either side of Stowe Maries station site, which I have walked once or twice.

 

[702]

A few others not or rarely mentioned so far;

The Hayling Island branch from Havant to West Town (Hayling Island).

Part of the Test Way runs from Mottisfont to Fullerton Junction (a couple of miles outside Andover) on the Sprat and Winkle Line

And as a child, a couple of miles of the southern Waverley Route, from Kirkandrews on Esk to Riddings, including over Thistle Viaduct.

 

[Dave W]

Sure it's been mentioned but I did the New York City highline last week! Fantastic little walk! Although sadly the extra "loop" section around the Hudson Yards was closed as they're "refurbishing" it. I particularly liked how the right of way was maintained even by buildings that postdated the line's use, to the extent that gaps of several storeys exist above the "track".

Aside from that I've knowingly done a couple in Edinburgh, a couple in the Midlands and a couple in Lancashire, including the East Lancs bridge over the Ribble in Preston. And finally, my "Old Faithful", the Parkland Walk which I can be on in about 5 minutes from here and is an excellent diversion for non-London visitors.

 

[Harvester]

Walked a section of the surviving track bed of the Louth-Wragby-Bardney line near Donnington-on-Bain many times, when holidaying in Lincolnshire in the early eighties. Very rural area, line had no hope of surviving.

 

[Jack Hay]

Has anyone mentioned the National Trust garden which is a walk on the disused CLC viaduct just outside Manchester Central?

 

[Doctor Fegg]

This book is a bit of an encyclopaedia of rail-to-trail conversions and worth the modest price:

Vinter's Railway Gazetteer: A Guide to Britain's Old Railways that You Can Walk or Cycle: Amazon.co.uk: Vinter, Jeff: 0787721941866: Books

Buy Vinter's Railway Gazetteer: A Guide to Britain's Old Railways that You Can Walk or Cycle Reprint by Vinter, Jeff (ISBN: 0787721941866) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

There’s also the Railway Ramblers organisation who keep a close eye on possible conversions. I keep meaning to sign up with them.

 

[D6130]

Just remembered another one which I have walked:

Blackhill-Rowlands Gill

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Closed Stations:

Visited Boat of Garten between closure by BR and re-opening by the Strathspey Railway.
Craigellachie

Visited and walked around:
Balquidder Junction
Crianlarich Lower
Ballachulish Ferry
Meikle Ferry - stayed in the station house which was a B&B at the time
Highlandman - also a B&B and still is
Millers Dale
Liverpool Riverside (between closure and demolition)
Glasgow St Enoch (between closure and demolition - having previously used it as a station when open)

site of Bollington ) walking Macclesfield/Rose Hill
Higher Poynton )
Middlewood High Level )
High Lane )

The site of Callander (now a car park)
Manchester Central - GMex or whatever it is called now.
Manchester Liverpool Road

 

[Jack Hay]

Closed Stations:

Visited Boat of Garten between closure by BR and re-opening by the Strathspey Railway.
Craigellachie

Visited and walked around:
Balquidder Junction
Crianlarich Lower
Ballachulish Ferry
Meikle Ferry - stayed in the station house which was a B&B at the time
Highlandman - also a B&B and still is
Millers Dale
Liverpool Riverside (between closure and demolition)
Glasgow St Enoch (between closure and demolition - having previously used it as a station when open)

site of Bollington ) walking Macclesfield/Rose Hill
Higher Poynton )
Middlewood High Level )
High Lane )

The site of Callander (now a car park)
Manchester Central - GMex or whatever it is called now.
Manchester Liverpool Road

Manchester Central is once again called Manchester Central, but is not a station, of course. The view of it from the station throat end is now being spoilt by a tower block which, astonishingly, is being built in front of the arch, just about where the outer ends of the main platforms were. It must be being built on top of the viaduct, or perhaps a hole has been cut in the viaduct for the foundations. This removes any possibility of the station ever being brought back into use... which, with the extreme shortage of facilities in Manchester for terminating trains arriving from the west, as well as the Castlefield congestion, would have been worth considering. To add to your list of stations; I dare say you have also visited the site of Manchester Exchange since closure.