Closed lines youv'e walked / cycled along

[blue87]

I have done
Harborne branch (Birmingham)
Berkswell - Kenilworth
Mickleover - Etwall
Ashborne - Buxton
Cheltenham Spa - Hunting Butts tunnel
Stratford on Avon - Long Martston
Market Harborough - Northampton
Oxley - Kingswinford

 

[gordonthemoron]

anyone done York-Selby? How long does it take? Any pubs en-route?

 

[EE Type 3]

I've walked bits and bobs while out and about photting, I've walked most of the Morfa Mawddach - Llanuwchllyn route, whats left anyway, took the train to Bala, and gave up!! I'll have to do Bala - Corwen sometime, when I'm more able

 

[JoshW1992]

I have done some of the Elham Valley route from Folkestone to Canterbury... It is possible to walk from the museum at Peene, right along to Etchinghill.. and through the tunnel... I'll never do that again though.

 

[EE Type 3]

http://daviddawson.fotopic.net/p52767846.html

That was taken standing on the old chord from the ECML to the Goole - Knottengley line. Its all still in place apart from the bridge over the road.

 

[JoshW1992]

I have also cycled along a route that goes through Doncaster... used to be part of the Great Central line, but I have no idea where it came from/went to.

 

[SouthernCrescent]

I've walked most of the Fortrose - Muir of Ord (its near where I live), the remains of the Strathpeffer branch and this summer went for a few miles along the old railway at Keswick in the Lake District. Old lines have a certain appeal for me. When I was in school one day we stopped off at a railway station (Redcastle). It was all boarded up but I could still make out the platform and there were no tracks or trains - really weird. It left me a bit sad and wishing it could be re opened. They are interesting places to go, trying to imagine what it would have been like by train.

Keswick by the way still has it's rail station intact, minus the rails and it now forms part of a hotel.

 

[class 313]

St Albans Abbey - Hatfield.

 

[yorkie]

anyone done York-Selby? How long does it take? Any pubs en-route?

Seriously, don't bother with it! it's flat and boring! As for pubs en-route, Riccall.

I have done:

TransPennine Trail
York-Selby-Bentley-Conisbrough-Bolton on Dearn, which is mostly on abandoned railway lines.

Hadfield-Penistone, which is the Woodhead route (have to go over the Pennines though - tunnel's closed!)

Bishop Auckland- (outskirts of) Durham-Consett-Metrocentre-Newcastle

Also Durham-Hartlepool.

My favourite so far is Scarborough-Whitby.

Next, is Stanhope to Chester-le-street, via the Waskerley Way along old coal lines, we are doing this on Sunday 28th (AdapP, Nick W, paul1609 and myself if anyone is interested please join us). This is part of the C2C.

 

[Techniquest]

Only done a few bits, mainly some of the old routes around the Elan Valley. Also done bits of the old New Radnor branch (I will one day finish both).

Got photos from both of those trips about somewhere, will upload when I get time.

 

[yorkie]

I have also cycled along a route that goes through Doncaster... used to be part of the Great Central line, but I have no idea where it came from/went to.

Was it the one that goes north to south in this view? It's part of the TransPennine trail. It went to Drax.

 

[Bill EWS]

I've walked a few old lines but my favourite was the Ex GCR London Extension. I once motorbiked from Woodford Halse to Rugby Central, including Catesby tunnel at the time when they were attempting to blow the roof off Woodford Halse Depot. I could'nt get out at Rugby Central because it was still in use by the Rugby-Arkwright Street service and there was a DMU in the station and passengers and staff on the platform. I didn't want to be seen motorbiking up the trackbed up to the platform, so went back to Baunston & Willoughby and got back onto the road there. I stayed long enough to watch the two-car DMU depart.

It was very interesting as nearly everything was still in place except rails. Riding over Catesby and Staverton viaducts was very nice. Just wish that I had a camera with me that day but it was an unplanned outing.

However, a trackbed that I have really walked virtually end to end is the old Ellon-Boddam branch, off the Dyce-Peterhead and Fraserburgh line. Some of you may have seen the web site already but perhaps others will not have.

It's at:

http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/keng/kenhtml/Boddam%20To%20Ellon/Ellon%20To%20Boddam%20Index.htm

Tomorrow I am off to that area again for a couple of weeks and I am hoping to complete the final couple of miles into Ellon and to add some more to this web site a bit later.

Cheers.

BillEWS.

 

[eezypeazy]

Routes I've cycled:

Wylam - Scotswood
Swalwell - Consett - Rookhope
Brampton Junction - Brampton (Cumbria)
Amble Branch (now a road)
Alnwick Branch (Alnmouth - Alnwick)
The C2C eastbound out of Workington, and east out of Keswick
The Riverside Branch east of Newcastle (that part which is a cycle route!)
Part of the Border Counties Railway trackbed, Tarset to Falstone
Killamarsh - Staveley
Harby - Lincoln
Braunton - Barnstaple - Bideford

Bit's I've walked:

Rowley to Waskerley, and the old Incline
Lindisfarne waggonway

 

[xc170]

Ive walked Bembridge - Brading (IOW):grin:

 

[mbonwick]

Hincaster - Arnside branch. Very sad sight now.

 

[Oracle]

I too have been to Keswick, and my son and I photographed the station. It may one day see use again!

You can walk over the old Hamble branch from the fence where the junction was with the SR Fareham line, past the police premises, over Hamble Lane and through the Hants CC footpath to Hamble Lane again. The line connected the main with the oilt termoinal and track still exists in places and in the depot. It used to run through Hamble aerodrome.

 

[EE Type 3]

I walked a tiny bit of the Mouldsworth - Elton line last Saturday, not up for walking the rest of it, Tescos car park can get quite busy! hock:

 

[yorkie]

Paul1609, Eazypeazy, Nick W, AdamP and myself are all doing the Waskerley Way on 28th September. Anyone else want to join us?

 

[DaveNewcastle]

the Waskerley Way on 28th September

There's some great views around the Derwent Valley. I'm interested! But my bike is strictly on-road and I don't know what the terrain is like?

 

[yorkie]

I've posted a topic in Forum meets.

I also have a road bike. I am told the surface should be fine, although the old railway path from Stanhope to Parkhead is not recommended so going uphill I think we'll be using the road (or walking!) I have assumed 50 mins to do the first 3.5 miles, plus a 10 min break at Parkhead.

The views from Howns Gill viaduct should be good so I've allowed a few minutes there.

After Parkhead, it's all either level or downhill (apart from a slight uphill section in the Consett area) all the way.

Timings are here.

 

[Darandio]

Can remember doing a bit of the leamside when I was younger but thats about it (I think)

 

[yorkie]

I did scarborough to whitby in 2 hours today departing 1551 arriving 1751. wasn't helped by some flooding and my road tyres aren't really suited to some of the surfaces. given that trains took 1 hour and that the path has several deviations, I think it's pretty good achievement. unlike last time, the cars in whitby didn't slow me down too much!

 

[Harry Douthwaite]

I've walked a few times up the old Buntingford Branch line from the Junction. So far, I've cycled one all the way from Watersplace farm to the site of Widford Station (Now an industrial yard)
Here is a video of one walk I did, from the Hertford East line junction to Hollycross Road bridge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWjMgAz55DQ
Me and my uncle were going to go up Cole Green way (The old line between Hertford and Welwyn) but the weather (and family trips) didn't allow for it.

 

[Andrew Tiffin]

I walked along the Forest Way and Northern Heights.

 

[kestrel]

Used to walk the Helston branch when i was a kid in the mid 70's, plenty of old railsigns etc still extant (some bugger must have em now !), good to see a group rebuilding it very picturest with a nice viaduct over the cober valley8)

 

[16CSVT2700]

Used to walk the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton route with the dogs when I was a kid. Didn't go too far though seeing as I was like 5

 

[paul1609]

Too many to mention but my favourites are the trackbed of the Welsh highland Railway through the Aberglasyn Pass Tunnels (now being re-opened) and the Rosedale Railway accross the North York Moors.

 

[Bayum]

I've walked the Spofforth - Wetherby Line that has now been closed... and Cycled it too =)

 

[theblackwatch]

I've walked the Spofforth - Wetherby Line that has now been closed... and Cycled it too =)

I walked that line for the first time last week!

More locally to me, I've walked and cycled the disused lines from Harrogate & Starbeck to Bilton Junction - in due course, this will be extended to form part of a cycletrack through to Ripley, crossing Nidd viaduct.

 

[Half Pint 56120]

The lines i've walked are:

Middleton In Teesdale - Tees Valley Junction
Haltwhistle - Slaggyford
Wylam - Scotswood
Swalwell - Consett
Part of the Pontop & Jarrow Railway Jarrow - Monkton
Stanhope - Waskerley