Markland Grips Viaduct [1] | |
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Coordinates | 53°16′10.89″N1°14′13.56″W / 53.2696917°N 1.2371000°W Coordinates: 53°16′10.89″N1°14′13.56″W / 53.2696917°N 1.2371000°W |
Carries | Ex-Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway |
Crosses | Markland Grips Gorge |
Locale | Between Clowne and Creswell, Derbyshire |
Characteristics | |
Design | 6 stone arches |
Width | Twin Standard Gauge Rail |
History | |
Opened | 16 November 1896 [2] |
Closed | 9 January 1967 [3] |
Location | |
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Markland Grips Viaduct is a former railway viaduct south east of Clowne, Derbyshire, England.
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The viaduct carried the LD&ECR's double-track Langwith Junction to Sheffield Beighton Branch over a limestone gorge known as "Markland Grips". It was situated midway between the former Clowne South and Creswell and Welbeck railway stations. Opened in 1896, it had six equal stone arches.
Timetabled passenger services over the viaduct ended in September 1939 but summer weekend excursions from Manchester Central to Yarmouth Vauxhall and Sheffield Victoria to Skegness continued until 1964. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Traffic on the line was mostly freight, especially coal but it was used as a relief and diversionary route for Sheffield - Lincoln traffic and for Great Central Main Line. As traffic declined so did the need for the Beighton Branch. Coal was carried on the branch from three collieries by the 1960s - Creswell and Langwith at its southern end and Westthorpe (Killamarsh) at its northern end. The north Nottinghamshire "superpits" sent most of their output to power stations in the Trent valley to the east. By the mid-1960s the Great Central was in terminal decline and traffic over the Beighton Branch could be accommodated on what is now the Robin Hood Line. When the M1 motorway was extended northwards, it would have required an expensive bridge to cross the Beighton Branch. The viaduct had required extensive strengthening for some time. [8] [9] [10] [11]
The viaduct was reinforced by cross members and then by cross members plus beams. These measures were to counteract the effects of mining subsidence. Finally a concrete "tunnel" was built for wheeled and foot users and the viaduct was buried under spoil to turn it into an embankment.
A new connection across fields south of Creswell and Welbeck station was built to connect the Beighton Branch to what is now the Robin Hood Line. The Beighton Branch became redundant and was closed on 9 January 1967 across Markland Grips Viaduct, through Clowne to Spinkhill Tunnel. [3] The tracks were lifted. Langwith Colliery's output continued to go south over the southern section until 8 September 1969, after which it went via the Robin Hood line. Westthorpe's went north over the northern section until the colliery closed in 1984.
After closure railway land was sold and the trackbed was used to access the viaduct site which was mined for limestone. These operations finished about 1973. The concrete tunnel was still in place in 2012. [12]
Clowne South station site was for a number of years a community skate park, but after much antisocial behaviour, this was removed, the land sold and houses built on it instead. The railway trackbed from there southeastwards towards the site of Markland Grips Viaduct is the publicly accessible Clowne Linear Park. The trackbed south of the viaduct site to Creswell is used as a footpath, but its legal status is unclear.
Markland Grips is an SSSI managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, who list them as Hollinwell and Markland Grips. External links to relevant websites are given below.
The Sheffield District Railway was a 3+1⁄2-mile (6 km) railway line in South Yorkshire, England. It was built to give the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway access to Sheffield, primarily for goods traffic, for which a large goods depot at Attercliffe, in Sheffield, was built. The construction was sponsored by the LD&ECR and the Great Eastern Railway together, with the support of the Midland Railway, which agreed running powers over sections of its own lines. The Sheffield District Railway opened in 1900. The LD&ECR operated the passenger service, although the Midland Railway later ran passenger trains too. The SDR did not have rolling stock and did not operate trains itself. The LD&ECR was absorbed by the Great Central Railway in 1907, and the GCR inherited the LD&ECR running powers.
Creswell railway station serves the village Creswell in Derbyshire, England. The station is on the Robin Hood Line between Nottingham and Worksop. It is also the nearest station to the larger village of Clowne.
Shirebrook railway station serves the town of Shirebrook in Derbyshire, England. The station is on the Robin Hood Line, 21½ miles (35 km) north of Nottingham towards Worksop.
The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) was built to connect coalfields in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire with Warrington and a new port on the Lincolnshire coast. It was a huge undertaking, and the company was unable to raise the money to build its line. With the financial help of the Great Eastern Railway it managed to open between Chesterfield and Lincoln with a branch towards Sheffield from 1896. Despite efforts to promote tourist travel, the passenger business was never buoyant, but collieries were connected to the line, at first and in succeeding years. The Great Eastern Railway, and other main line companies, transported coal to the southern counties, and the company's engines took coal to Immingham in great quantities. The company had a fleet of tank engines.
Scarcliffe railway station is a former railway station in Scarcliffe, Derbyshire, England.
Shirebrook North railway station was a railway station serving the town of Shirebrook in Derbyshire, England. It was on the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway running from Chesterfield to Lincoln. The starion was also on the former Shirebrook North to Nottingham Victoria Line and the Sheffield District Railway. The station has since been demolished and housing now occupies parts of the site with some stub rails nearby serving a train scrapper.
Warsop railway station is a former railway station in Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire, England.
Creswell and Welbeck railway station used to serve the village of Creswell, in north eastern Derbyshire, England.
Clowne South railway station is a former railway station in Clowne, Derbyshire, England.
Spinkhill railway station is a disused railway station in Spinkhill, Derbyshire, England.
Upperthorpe and Killamarsh was a railway station serving the town of Killamarsh and the village of Upperthorpe in Derbyshire, England. It was one of three stations serving Killamarsh. The station was on the Sheffield District Railway which ran between Sheffield Victoria and Shirebrook North on the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railways network of lines in the region.
Fledborough Viaduct is a former railway viaduct near Fledborough, Nottinghamshire which is now part of the national cycle network.
Doe Lea Viaduct is a former railway viaduct near Carr Vale, Bolsover, Derbyshire, England.
Staveley Town is a disused railway station in Staveley, Derbyshire in England.
Clowne & Barlborough is a former railway station in Clowne northeast of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.
Spinkhill Tunnel is a disused twin-track railway tunnel south of Spinkhill railway station in Derbyshire, England.
The Clowne Branch is a disused railway line in north eastern Derbyshire, England. Which runs from Creswell to Staveley. Historically it ran to Chesterfield. It is now in use as a greenway.
The Doe Lea branch is a mothballed railway line in Derbyshire, England. It connected the Derbyshire towns of Chesterfield, Staveley and Bolsover to the Nottinghamshire town of Mansfield. It also had a branch line to Creswell via the Derbyshire town of Clowne.
Beighton Junction is a set of railway junctions near Beighton on the border between Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, England.
The Leen Valley lines of the Great Northern Railway were railway branch lines built to access the collieries in the Nottinghamshire coalfield in England. The Midland Railway had long been dominant in the area, but there was resentment against its monopolistic policies from coalowners, who encouraged the Great Northern Railway to build a line. The Leen Valley Line was opened in 1881; it ran as far as Annesley colliery. A passenger service was run the following year, and very considerable volumes of coal were hauled.