Spurn Head Railway

Starting Point - Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Spurn Discovery Centre. Round Trip to Spurn Point. Distance - 7.5 Miles. Facilities at Discovery Centre

During the First World War it was soon realised that defences around the Humber Estury needed considerable improvement to protect the vital shipping route into Hull, Grimsby, Immingham and Goole and inland waterway connections in to Yorkshire. A millitary presence had existed on the Spurn Penninsular back to the time of the Napoleonic wars, though Spurn Point could only be reached by boat or by a walk along the sand dunes from Kilnsea. To strengthen the coastal defences a railway was built. This would allow materials off loaded at a pier at Spurn Point to be moved along the peninsular up to the Godwin Fort at the Kilnsea end.

More information about the Spurn Head railway can be found in this Article about the Spurn Railway and the Wikipedia article.

Of the five contractor's locomotives used in the construction of the line one was left behind (Vulcan Foundry built "Kenyon") to operate the railway. Another of the contractor's engines, Hudswell Clarke built "Lord Mayor" went on to several other construction sites before being preserved at the Vintage Carriages Trust site at Ingrow on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. The military also obtained petrol powered railcars to move personnel around the penninsular. These became the only motive power when Kenyon finally expired in 1929. Other ingineous vehicles were developed by occupants of the penninsular including a converted Itala racecar and sail powered bogies.

In the Second World War the penninsular again saw an increase in military presence and a Y8 steam locomotive was brought in from the London & North Eastern Railway. This was sent to Patrington station on the Hull to Withernsea line and moved using a trailer dragged by a Scammel and a Fordson tractor. During the war the infastructure was further improved with the construction of a concrete roadway, this would use the railway to move construction materials but ultimately make the railway obsolete. It closed in 1951, though traces of the line can still be seen today where it and the concrete road crossed as the rails were set into the concrete.

For this trip I cycled to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Spurn Discovery Centre, combining this trip with a bike ride on the former Hull to Withernsea railway. The peninsular is not suitable for cycling as a breach a few years back has left a stretch of the peninsular as a pebble beach. Occasional tours are operated using a former Military Unimog vehicle. The Discovery Centre contains a cafe and shop where I was able to get food and drink and a copy of the book Sailing The Rails (look for this book on Amazon) about the line.

Current Map

The line is shown on four old map sheets, north to south...

1928 Map (1) 1928 Map (2) 1928 Map (3) 1928 Map (4)

Coastal errosion has seen the loss of much of the Godwin Fort site with little more than lumps of concrete on the gradually westward moving beach. A sound mirror Zeppelin Listening Post survives at Kilnsea, though being a bit pushed for time following bike problems I didn't get to see this. From the Discovery Centre I headed along the concrete road along the penninsular.

Below - A dog leg in the concrete road along the penninsular and the first of the crossings the railway made can still be seen.

Below - The railway crosses the concrete road at an angle.

Just north of the lighthouse was the two road engine shed for the railway's fleet. The main road would have housed Kenyon, and in later years the Y8. A side road with limited head room would have housed the railcars the line used. As the rails were set into the concrete base around the shed they can still be seen. The Unimog that does tours of the penninsular uses this hard standing as a drop off point.

Below - Another section of track set in to concrete at Spurn Point. The lighthouse and off shore Explosives Tower can be seen. Around this area are a number of former millitary buildings since put to use by the Wildlife Trust and the adjacent Lifeboat Staion.

Beyond here the line continued onto a pier on the River Humber side of the peninsular from which materials could be brought in by ship. The pier was gradually dismantalled, the surviving pier nearby being a more modern 1974 built pier for the use of the RNLI and the Humber Pilots. 

Below - The Spurn Lightship that once protected shipping from the shifting sand banks around the Spurn peninsular. This is now preserved in the Hull Marina in what was once Humber Dock.

Stainland Branch

Above - L&YR Hughes Railmotor at Stainland and Holywell Green Station

Starting Point - Stainland Road, Greetland. Round trip. Distance 3.2 Miles.

Current Map : 1907 Map 

Wikipedia article

Just 1.6 miles long, the Stainland branch from Greetland Junction to Stainland and Holywell Green station opened in 1875 and was primarily built to serve the local mills. Six passenger trains a day were provided to Halifax, these were operated by Hughes railmotors from 1907 until passenger services were withdrawn in 1929. Freight traffic continued until 1959.

Initially there were two passenger stations, one at West Vale and one at Stainland and Holywell Green (actually situated at Holywell Green). With the introduction of Railmotors, an attempt to remain competitive against the tramway under construction at the time, a simple platform was added at Rochdale Road Halt.

My visit to the former line was by bike, with there no longer being a station on the surviving main line at Greetland Junction or even at Elland (a shocking oversight as this is now one of the largest centres of population in West Yorkshire without a railway station despite a railway line running through it) it is quite a trek from Brighouse or Sowerby Bridge. I therefore combined the trip with a ride along the Calder and Hebble Navigation between the two towns.

After crossing under the main line a small car park can be seen on the right, this is on the site of the coal yard. (Below)

Below - Remains of the end of the coal drops.

There are paths in the woods behind the coal drops, though the railway would have been in a short cutting at this point this has been filled in. The bridge where Clay House Lane crossed the line is still in situ, though the trackbed is filled in up to the bridge deck.

The line would have continued on an embankment (probably what filled in the cutting when it was removed) and on a bridge over Rochdale Road. On the other side of Rochdale Road a footpath leads up to the trackbed.

Below - Old pipe bridge over the trackbed. This location is the site of Rochdale Road Halt which would have been a simple wooden platform on the left.

The path continues over the first of a couple of major structures that still survive, West Vale Viaduct.

I should point out that I'm not sat on the wall or anything silly in this shot, merely holding the camera (with wrist strap on) over the edge.

On the way back I took a detour through West Vale for a shot of the viaduct from ground level, seen here across the demolished site of West Vale Mill.

After the viaduct the area has seen a lot of housing development since the railway closed. West Vale station was location at what is now the corner of Green Lane and Green Royd. From Green Royd a path runs along the back of the houses, this path follows the course of the railway and the top of the old retaining wall can be seen. The houses on Green Royd occupy the site of the goods yard. 

The path joins the road at Long Hays and a bridge that carried the road over the railway can be seen, showing how the cutting has been filled in to the height of the road.

1907 Map

Beyond the bridge is a section of trackbed leading on to Rawroyds Viaduct, though there is no footpath on this section of trackbed a footpath called Rawroyds runs alongside.

Below - Rawroyds Viaduct

From the end of the viaduct at Burnwood Way the last stretch of railway trackbed is now a private road to serve a chemical works on the site of Stainland and Holywell Green station and the line's final destination at Brookroyd Mills.

Below - The bridge where Station Road in Holywell Green crossed the railway, the station was on the right.

Below - Looking north from the Station Road bridge along the chemical works access road that now occupies the trackbed. A signal box would have been on the right.

Below - The site of Stainland and Holywell Green station. The station was on the right. Beyond the station the line continued to Brookroyd Mills.

Below - Picture of the Railmotor at Stainland and Holywell Green station. The bridge in the background is the bridge the previous couple of shots were taken from.

Lincoln's Engineering Works

Starting Point - Lincoln Central Station. About 6 miles walking.

Lincolnshire has always been covered with agricultural land and as a result a thriving industry developed in the city of Lincoln as the agricultural industry became mechanised in the mid 1800s. The city boasted several well known firms including Ruston, William Foster, Clayton & Shuttleworth and Robey. Remnants of this industrial side of Lincoln's history can be seen today, including some manufacturing still taking place at a couple of sites.

Above Map from Open Street Map.

Current Map 1932 Map

Ruston

Wikipedia article  Graces Guide article

Known as Ruston & Proctor from 1857 when Joseph Ruston joined the 1840 established firm Proctor & Burton by buying Theophilus Burton's shares. The firm made large numbers of agricultural steam engines such as traction engines and portable engines. They also ventured in to locomotive building.

Above - Ruston Proctor General Purpose Engine 33189 seen at the 2017 Boston Steam & Vintage Fair.

Below - Remains of a Ruston Proctor Portable Engine in Kosovo Polje.

The company were also pioneers of excavating machinery and internal combustion engines, items their successors would go on to develop with great success.

Below - Early Ruston Proctor internal combustion loco 52194 in the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.

In 1918 the company merged with Richard Hornsby & Co of Grantham to become Ruston & Hornsby and became one of the leading manufacturers of internal combustion engines.

Above - Diesel pumping engine in Dogdyke Pumping Station, Tattershall, Lincolnshire.

The Excavator side of Ruston's business, which was boosted by Ruston Proctor's acquisition of Leeds firm Whittaker Bros in 1910, was merged with American firm Bucyrus - Erie to form Ruston - Bucyrus, one of the leading excavator manufacturers, producing anything from small crawler cranes to vast draglines.

Below - Ruston Bucyrus excavators at Threlkeld Mining Museum

Ruston & Hornsby are also a name commonly associated with their locomotive production which was concentrated on industrial locos of all gauges. Ruston's locomotives would of course be fitted with their own engines.

Below - Ruston Hornsby loco shunting Crossley's scrapyard in Shipley in 2012.

Ruston's main works was situated between the River Witham and the railway line between Lincoln and Cleethorpes. Other sites were dotted around the city, as well as the former Hornsby works at Grantham. The company has survived through several changes of ownership and is now part of German firm Siemens. Although the presence in Lincoln has been downsized over the years much of the main works remains (below).

Clayton & Shuttleworth

Wikipedia Article Graces Guide Article

Following the River Witham beyond the former Ruston works another notable engine maker could be found next door, Clayton & Shuttleworth. Founded in 1842, this firm also had its beginnings in agricultural machinery such as portable engines, threshing machinery and traction engines.

Below - At the time of my visit in 2015 the office building of the Clayton & Shuttleworth was still standing, though a section at the end of the building had been removed.

The Stamp End Works was situated behind this office building and up to the Lincoln to Cleethorpes railway. 

                                        Below - 1899 illustration of the works (Graces Guide)

The company later expanded to the east on two further sites. The first of these, the Titanic Works, was situated on the other side of the railway and can be seen just beyond the railway bridge that carries the Cleethorpes line over Waterside (South). There are two bridge spans where the railway crosses over the road and the riverside footpath, originally the span nearest the works carried an internal railway line between the Titanic and Stamp End works.

Below - The former Titanic Works. 

It was in the Titanic Works that the company built a number of aircraft orders in the First World War, including over 500 Sopwith Camels. The Clayton Dewandre subsidiary were housed in the Titanic Works, making engine and brake system parts. The building now contains offices for several companies.

The bridge crossing taking Waterside South over the river is on the site of one that took the works railway to the next site, the Abbey Works and Clayton Forge complex. Turning right and following Spa Road, it leads to a path along the river and the works site can be seen on the left. 

The Abbey Works site housed the Clayton Wagons subsidiary, this branch made steam lorries and railcars.  

Below - Power unit of a Clayton steam railcar (Wikipedia)

Below - Clayton Steam Lorry 48647 at Netley Marsh traction engine rally in 2019

With the increasing use of internal combustion engined lorries after the First World War, the demand for steam lorries and railcars was quite short lived and the works was taken over by Smith - Clayton Forge, products included crankshafts for internal combustion engines. It went on to become part of GKN and the site is today owned by Italian firm Bifrangi.

Heading back towards the centre of Lincoln and turning left on to the A1434, Melville Street which becomes Canwick Road, takes us to another old engine works, that of Robey & Co.

Robey & Co

1907 Map

Wikipedia article Graces Guide article

Founded in 1854 as the Perseverance Works and later renamed the Globe Works, Robey & Co also manufactured agricultural machinery and later diversified in to steam lorries, rollers and engines for mines and factories amongst other products.

Above - Robey steam wagon 42888 in Ratmalana, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Below - Robey Horizontal Cross Compound engine in Bolton Steam Museum.

The company survived in to the 1980s making plant equipment, winding engine, compressors, boilers. In 1985 they were bought by Babcock but was wound up in 1988. The former works survives as the Buildbase supply depot.

1932 Map

William Foster & Co

Wikipedia article Graces Guide article

To the west of the city between the Midland Railway line into St Marks station (remains of the station survive as a shopping complex) and the River Witham was the Wellington Foundry of William Foster & Co. The company was established by 1846 making mill machinery in a former flour mill before moving to the Wellington Foundry in 1899. Like their neighbours they got in to agricultural machinery such as traction engines and threshing machines.

The company is best known for the development of the Tank in the First World War, the name Tank being derived from a codename for the project "Water carrier for Mesopotamia" used to keep the work secret, the concept originally having being regarded as "Landships." 

Below - William Foster's "Little Willie," the prototype First World War Tank in the Tank Museum at Bovington.

In 1927 Fosters acquired London pump maker Gwynnes Ltd and moved pump production to Lincoln under the Foster Gwynnes name. Pump production continued at the works until 1968. A modern retail park occupies the site today, though a monument has been erected on a nearby roundabout to recognise the "Birthplace of the Tank."

Immediately south of the Wellington Foundry was until recently another building belonging to Ruston, their Boultham Works and to the west of the Wellington Foundry was their Spike Island Works on the other side of the Midland Railway line (now Tritton Road). These works were used to produce aircraft engines during the Second World War and the Spike Island Works was used to produce Ruston Bucyrus excavators. A few buildings of the Spike Island Works survive, though I didn't get to these on my walk.