15823 - a photo on Flickriver

15823

            The cycle path on the route of the former Chesterfield and Lincoln Direct Railway, outside Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire.

Like most new railways of the time its purpose was the carriage of coal. The project's leading light was William Arkwright, a descendant of Richard Arkwright who had made the family's fortune by mechanising the spinning of cotton. William Arkwright had settled at Sutton Scarsdale Hall near Chesterfield and with the land came extensive deposits of coal.

The rail network in the vicinity provided by the Midland Railway and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was still in its infancy and would not meet his requirements. In 1887 the Chesterfield and Lincoln Direct Railway was proposed independently to join with Midland lines at each end. It would cross his land but received insufficient support. 

Arkwright decided to promote an independent line to provide through roads to opposite coasts of the country. In time it became known as "The East to West". It would be sufficiently large to maintain itself in the face of competition from other railways. There were a number of lines already approved but not carried forward which could be incorporated. With the Newark and Ollerton there was the Macclesfield and Warrington Railway and the Lincoln and East Coast Railway. A number of other lines had been considered but not formally proposed and these, together with plans for dock works at Sutton on Sea which had been approved in 1884, gave Arkwright his route and support from the various landowners involved. The Lancashire Derbyshire and East Coast Railway Company was formed at 27 George St in Westminster and published its plans in 1890.

There was initially a deal of opposition from landowners and other railway companies but, in the end, the main opponent was the MS&LR because the line would bypass its own line from Sheffield to Retford and thence to London. The Great Eastern Railway turned from opponent to supporter, realising that the line could give it an entree to the Midlands coalfields. The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway Act authorising building the line was given Royal Assent on 5 August 1891.

Due to lack of investment, only the portion from Chesterfield to Lincoln was built. To have continued west of Chesterfield would have required some extremely expensive and difficult engineering works. It was an ambitious undertaking, with some extremely expensive engineering works, crossing the Peak District which had always been a major headache for railway builders. Even to the east it crossed lines of hills running north and south. In addition it would conflict with the lines of a number of other railway companies.

From Lincoln the line would continue eastward over the Lincolnshire Wolds, with a junction near Stainfield as it crossed the GNR Louth to Bardney line. Proceeding well to the north of Horncastle it would cross the East Lincolnshire Railway to the southwest of Alford passing to the south. It would then join that line's loop (at that time known as the Willoughby Railway) near Thurlby turning north east to Sutton on Sea, where the North Sea port would be built.

Passenger services over the line to Lincoln finished in September 1955.

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / Lincoln / Birchwood (show map)

Taken on: January 25, 2013

Tags:

Lincoln

Lincolnshire

East Midlands

England

English

United Kingdom

Great Britain

Britain

British

Chesterfield Lincoln Railway

LD&ECR

Chesterfield and Lincoln Direct Railway

Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway

Great Central Railway

Trains

Railways

disused

Beechings Axe

Beechings

Doctor Beeching

train

railway

cyclepath

bike path

cycle

bike

path

footpath

public footpath

Chesterfield Railway

snow

ice

winter

frost

frozen « less

Sets appears in: • Chesterfield and Lincoln Direct Railway • Skellingthorpe more » • Lincolnshire « less

Groups appears in: • The Midlands • Disused Railways more » • Lincolnshire • Lincoln, England • Lincoln UK • Views: 200 • Beeching Axe • Paths (Caminhos) POST , COMMENT & INVITE PLEASE • Photography in the East Midlands • Lovely villages, fields, meadows, swamps & countryside • Lincolnshire Photographers • Project Weather • Lincolnshire Life • Flickr Lincolnshire • LD&EC Railway • WALKING LANDSCAPES • GREAT PANOS « less

Camera: Nikon D90, f/9.0, 1/320 sec, 18mm (=27mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D90
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	18mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	+0.165 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	ViewNX 2.3 W
Show full info

Stats: 4,905 views

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: