21/11/11 Killamarsh to Clowne Part 1

I started the next part of my walk in Killamarsh.  My aim was to walk from around Killamarsh Station, back towards Clowne and finish at Clowne Station, It didn’t exactly go to plan but there was more to look at here than on any of my previous walks.

I started at this bridge over the Rother (Picture 13) and headed back towards Killamarsh Station in the process discovering this bridge (Picture 14)

which is the most complete section of track on this branch. Due to the fact I didn’t have my map, there is no picture of the station but the trackbed was easy to walk upon and the cutting was quite deep and not filled in.  As I approached each overbridge there was a pile of rubbish fly tipped, a common site along this part of the line and not something I can see stopping, but on the plus side there was plenty of wild mushrooms growing and once again hardly anyone else about.

Upon approaching Spinkhill station there was plenty of evidence of the railway, with sleepers and ties.  (picture 15 + 16)

The following picture of Spink Hill Signal Box was donated by the "D Chandler collection"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29644579@N07/6024635279/in/photostream

and after passing the station which is now a private residence and under repair I got my first glimpse of Spinkhill Tunnel (picture 17).

The run offs are still in place (picture 18)

 but there was no way I was entering the tunnel (picture 10) .

This is where I had to leave the line temporarily as I headed towards the main village to find a way around. Once again the lack of a map meant I didn’t find the line again till I came to where it crosses Syday Lane and then the A6135 Sheffield Road.  Here barbwire and a healthy growth of trees stopped me re-joining and I had to wait till a path through some fields led me back to the line.

This part of the line has obviously been less well travelled and was quite tough going after a while but I did find my first structure (not including Station Buildings) (picture 21 + 22),

any information on what it was used for would be greatly appreciated.  After walking for another couple of hundred yards I came to a stop, the overgrowth was getting impassable and it had taken me a lot longer to get here than I expected.  I decided to return to the main road and carry on from the other side of the motorway another time.

03/11/11 Creswell To Clowne

This next part of the trail is without doubt my favourite, simply because it holds so many memories, from using it to get to a park I used to visit constantly, to nearly falling off my bike from whilst riding above the track bed and finally to going through Markland Grips to get to college at Clowne so I was looking forward to seeing it again.

Starting from Creswell Station, going on towards Clowne isn’t possible anymore.  A detour West Street is needed, although a new entranceway has been cut onto the track bed for people from the new housing estate.  The track bed has once again been filled in and is once again listed as part of the Sustrans trail although it is not kept as well as the path to Frithwood.  Once over Hazelmere Lane there are glimpses of how deep the cuttings used to be with a short area not filled in for some reason (Picture 5)

before coming to where the viaduct once stood.  Of course it’s no longer there and I have to admit I have no memory of it at all but there are some stones marking where it once was and some stones which if someone can confirm would have been part of it. (Pictures 6 and 7)

After this the track bed continues on towards Clowne through countryside and crossed by farm tracks, quite easy walking and once again a sleeper or two still about, and gets even easier when it reaches the Linear Park across Hollis Lane (Picture 8 and 9)

This is maintained by Bolsover Council I think and where the Station once stood, and where a Car Park (which I also used whilst at college) once was there is now skate park, not in use whilst I was there.  There are still some outlines of the station buildings but nothing like what remains of the other line that met the LD&ECR here. (Picture 10 and 11)

This is as far I went today, the next walk should be from Killamarsh back to Clowne and hopefully ending up at the same skate park J

From Frithwood Farm to Creswell Station

This is the first part of the line that I attempted to walk.  Having grown up in Creswell I wanted to start here.

Distance Walked - 0.65 miles

Most of the walk was on the old trackbed with deviations where housing has been built.

Walking from Frithwood Farm towards Creswell the track has been taken over by the Sustrans Trail organisation. This and the closure of Creswell Colliery in 1991 means that the line has been filled in and mostly sanitised with new tree plantations and a nice little footpath to walk along.

Immediately after Frithwood Farm we come across possible railway sleepers, These are on the side away from the Colliery and even closer to Creswell is the remains of an old bridge facing onto the track bed.

The Sustrans Trail stops following the track bed when it reaches the housing development on Elmton Close and across the Main Road on Bank Close. On these 2 roads there is no trace of the railway at all with a signal box being lost on Elmton Close and of course more importantly Creswell Station being lost on Bank Close.

Housing now stands where the station once stood and how I regret not exploring more in my younger days when something may have lingered.

Walking along the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway line

Hi,

 And welcome to my blog.  I am planning to walk along the line of the old LD&ECR from Chesterfield to Lincoln and from Langwith Junction to Killamarsh.  Or at least I'm planning to walk as much as I can, the line from Ollerton to High Marnham is still in use and presents a small problem and then there are the houses and other building built along the line, I may have to walk around these but you get the idea.

 The walk won't be in order from Chesterfield to Lincoln, but will jump around a little as I get access to different bits and I'll try and upload photo's as we go along too.

 Please feel free to leave comments and stories of your own regarding the line.

 David