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Digger  
#1 Posted : 24 February 2011 08:12:30(UTC)
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Hello Everyone,

This is my first posting on the forum.

Due to visiting Whaley Bridge and doing some research into the history of the Crompton & High Peak Railway I have become interested in the local industrial heritage of the area.

While visiting the canal basin at Whaley Bridge I came accross a railway line going over a now disused bridge, above the River Goyt adjacent to the weir, and I cannot find any reference to it on old maps.

It is approximately 100 yards lower down he River Goyt than the Bingswood Avenue bridge, and I am intrigued to discover what the bridge was used for and by whom?

If anyone knows I would be grateful if you could solve the mystery.

Thank you in advance.

 

Edited by user 24 February 2011 08:15:13(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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buggyite  
#2 Posted : 25 February 2011 15:21:08(UTC)
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Hello and welcome to the forum, Digger.

How odd that I'd never noticed that bridge before myself, so I have been and had a look at it myself.

Like you say, it isn't shown on any maps, either the 1915 one, or LNWR maps, or an undated LMSR one I have. The bridge is very definitely there, though, and has railway lines on it. Going by the construction of the bridge, and the fact that the rails are flat-bottom rails, and not bullhead rail, which is what the rest of the railway tracks from Shallcross to the wharf would have been, it must be relatively recent - ie since 1923.

Given that sidings like this would be laid with rail which was considered life-expired for main-line purposes, it would be useful to discover when the LMSR began using flat-bottom rails, as that would help date it.

It was clearly a later extension to the more easterly siding that ran alongside the transhipment warehouse.

As to what it was used for, I do not know, but at the northern end of the bridge in the printworks yard the tracks are some 6ft above the ground thereabouts, I suspect that there must have been some coal staithes there, as the elevated tracks would make it easier to unload railway trucks of coal directly onto waiting lorries or drays.

I hope that perhaps one of the older contributors to this forum can add something to this.

To help people locate where this bridge is, I have attached a map upon which I have indicated the bridge, in blue and added red dots to show where I think the tracks must have gone.

Edited by user 25 February 2011 15:23:00(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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tyke  
#3 Posted : 25 February 2011 17:21:06(UTC)
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The railway line in question ran into the shed in the industrial estate. )upstairs). I can remember when it was Chappell & Wright seeing evidence of this in the shed. Maybe someone who works at minibus options might confirm this today

gasman  
#4 Posted : 27 February 2011 14:48:17(UTC)
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If it helps, the LMS didn't start using flat-bottomed rail until 1936 (according to LMS 150 by P.Whitehouse & D.ST.John-Thomas). As these rails are clearly old and worn, it would suggest either a post-1930s date for the bridge, or that the rails were relaid at some stage. Either way, it would seem to put use of the bridge within living memory. Was it a wartime extension, perhaps, closed soon afterwards and so not shown on the maps?

george  
#5 Posted : 28 February 2011 19:54:25(UTC)
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Hi Digger,

On the site of the  Bingswood Industrial Estate there had been a cloth printing works since 1853. It used a lot of coal which came via the old Cromford and High Peak railway, until a few weeks ago you would have been able to see evidence of railway lines down between the two rows of houses called Bingswood Avenue, but recently it been covered up a new strip of macadam. The railway, which was closed in 1952, came along Tom Brads Croft and went to the canal basin. On the right just before crossing the top of Bingswood Avenue is a water trough, it has only been there a few years, at this point a branch line went down Bingswood Avenue over the bridge at the bottom straight on under archway into the works yard and so to the boiler house which had a tall hexagnal chimney. The chimney became unsafe even though work was done on it. It was decided, in the early 1930's to take it down and relocate the boiler house to nearer the river which runs parallel to the canal. This required another route to deliver the coal, so the old railway instead of filling up the boats on the canal with lime stone, was extended to cross the river by use of the bridge you asked about. The coal went right into the new boiler house which this time had a round redbrick chimney this was felled in, I think 1968, I need to check my diary on this. I lived in Bingswood Avenue in the on row the left until 1963 and used to watch the little diesel engine pulling the full trucks from the bottom of the incline at Bridge street and taking them to the printworks over the river and returning the empties to the incline. I will come back again with more information.

george

Digger  
#6 Posted : 28 February 2011 20:01:10(UTC)
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Hello George,
Thank you for the information.
If you do have more notes about the use of the bridge over the river any information would be interesting.
Since coming accross the bridge I have been keen to find out more.

All the best.
buggyite  
#7 Posted : 01 March 2011 00:14:06(UTC)
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George,

I too would like to express my thanks for you providing this information. Unless I am mistaken, I don't think anything about the relatively new bridge is shown in any of the books about the Cromford & High Peak. Its also the first time I have seen mention of locomotive haulage at the foot of the Whaley Incline.

From my (admittedly biased towards railways & steam traction) viewpoint, what you have written proves what a useful, unique and informative forum this is. If ever there is a need to cull old data from the history forum, I hope the powers-that-be give a little warning so us obsessive-compulsive types get the chance to save all the extremely useful stuff like this.

Thanks again.

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gasman  
#8 Posted : 01 March 2011 20:39:07(UTC)
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Sorry (text didn't show on last post!)

Hi George,

That is fascinating - I presume the diesel belonged to the printing works? I wonder where they kept it, and how it was delivered there in the first place. If it was winched down the incline, it must have made an interesting sight! I think the coal must have come in through Shallcross yard, as the wharf was isolated from the rest of the CHPR after Shallcross incline closed in 1892.

Thanks for posting and best wishes
snowy  
#9 Posted : 01 March 2011 23:53:39(UTC)
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Thanks Digger, Buggyite and George for your contributions on this topic.

You jogged my memory about the bridge, although it's years since I looked at it.

I seem to remember an embankment alongside the transhipment warehouse and the basin which carried the track to the bridge, and a pedestrian tunnel under the embankment. Is this right, or am I imagining it?

george  
#10 Posted : 03 March 2011 19:26:53(UTC)
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Hi Snowy, no you are not imagining it, there was a narrow section of the canal which went from the main part towards Bingswood Avenue passing underneath the railway lines. The waggons had doors in the bottom secured by bolts, when these were hammered back the doors dropped open allowing the contents to fall in to the boat underneath. Later this section was made shorter and immediately under the sleepers was filled in making a watertight top on the bridge, (often I sheltered from the rain under this bridge when playing by the canal). There were very large stones edging this section which terminated in seni-circle these could be seen uner the grass up to the 1970's but unfortunately when a new wide pipe was being laid the large stones were either buried or removed. Anticipating this was likely to happen I went to see the clerk of the council and told him what would probably happen he said it would be restored. However this was not the case.

I've run out of time now so will come back in due course.

george

george  
#11 Posted : 04 March 2011 09:54:23(UTC)
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To all interested in the bridge over the river.  I have been chatting to a friend and neighbour from the old days re. the bridge, we cannot think of any other use the bridge could have been put to. After my first posting I have been to Bingswood Avenue and find railway lines and cobblestones visible in front of the first two houses on the right nos.1/3 as the branch line curves between the houses and a short tumbling down wall to join the line going passed Tom Brad's croft to the incline. I don't know if the small diesel engine merits the term locomotive and I feel sure it must have been kept at the printworks and one of the drivers was Fred Thomason of Bingewood Ave. My friend was telling me of a time he and a couple of mates was playing cricket along by the lines by what is now Tom Brad's Croft when two waggons broke loose from the big chain on the incline and came thundering down. One hit Fred Thomasons engine knocking it off the rails and poor Fred finished up in the doorway of Mrs. Shirt's shoe and pot shop (now the antique shop) a bit dazed and with a few cuts on his head. I think my friend was stumped! More information on the printworks to come.

george 

Horwich Ender  
#12 Posted : 04 March 2011 17:05:36(UTC)
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Brilliant george.

Thanks for sharing your memories with us. It's very much appreciated.

george  
#13 Posted : 07 March 2011 19:46:37(UTC)
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Information on Bingswood Printworks.

I have been told John Welch started to build a fabric printing works on this site in 1852 and the first cloth, in two pieces, each 30 yards long was printed there in 1953 on a machine powered by steam. An old deed shows in1853 he leased land and undertook to build one dwelling house and a mill there.He built a large residence thought to be Whaley Hall but I don't have any infomation about the mill. In 1864 a large part of the mill was destroyed by fire, this was not unusual in those days, the mill was soon rebuilt.  In the 1880's the works operated under the name of Whaley Bridge Printing Company and consisted of a small group buildings. The firm had plans to develop and included diverting the course of the river, the original course threatening the south-east corner of the works in heavy rain and building a new lenght of railway, the work was  started by the end of the 1880's. The new water channel was cut and a new length of railway line added linking up with the Peak Forest canal. ( a bridge to the estate being built over the river, this would have been the one at the bottom of Bingswood Avenue or an earlier one).About 1891 the business failed and was bought by Messrs Gemmell and Harter in 1892 who owned a factory in Ratcliffe Lancashire who were wanting to move from there. A lot of alterations were carried out at W.B. involving the buildings, some were demolished and some new ones built resulting in a larger factory this work took place in 1893. To access the estate a road was made and 24 houses were built for the workers from Ratcliffe this was Bingswood Avenue, (and named by locals as Ratcliffe Row) about 100 workers came over to work at the printworks. Must leave it there for now.

george              

R. Stephenson-Smythe  
#14 Posted : 08 March 2011 15:04:03(UTC)
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A really good post, George,
 
Surely one that deserves its own topic; maybe Admin could move your post to a new thread entitled The Print works and have this post of yours as the lead-in???
 
John Welch, whom you talk about firstly, started out his printing at Furness Vale and later moved to Whaley.
At Furness he was in partnership with Messrs Buchan and Pine; the partnership was dissolved on May 26th 1847
As you say John Welch did not let the grass grow and was soon back in business in WB living at Horwich Hall.
 
 
However he was made bankrupt in May 1862 but for some reason he retained ownership of the Mill which, as you say, caught fire in January 1864 causing £5,000 worth of damage.
 
In 1891 the Works was offered for sale at The Mitre Hotel in Manchester but there was only one bid of £10,000 so the Administrator decided to sell the works on a piece-meal basis.
Astoundingly the machinery was bought for £12,680.
 
In 1892 the Print Works was bought by The Radclyffe Printing Company
 
Almost immediately the Company appointed Scattergood and Warrington to rebuild virtually all the site. (I’ve got a photo somewhere of  Scattergood and Warrington’s works transport which I’ll put on here when I find it).
 
 
Unfortunately the Contractor’s workforce went on strike and wanted a half penny an hour rise from 5d per hour. 30 to 40 of them lost their jobs because of their actions.
 
Another contract was awarded to David Drinkwater (Vice-Chairman of the Board) to erect 26 cottages to be called Bingswood Avenue, but as you say George, they were known in those days as Radclyffe Row.
 
R. S-S
 
tarboat  
#15 Posted : 10 March 2011 18:50:44(UTC)
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george wrote:

 

On the site of the  Bingswood Industrial Estate there had been a cloth printing works since 1853. It used a lot of coal which came via the old Cromford and High Peak railway, until a few weeks ago you would have been able to see evidence of railway lines down between the two rows of houses called Bingswood Avenue, but recently it been covered up a new strip of macadam. The railway, which was closed in 1952, came along Tom Brads Croft and went to the canal basin. On the right just before crossing the top of Bingswood Avenue is a water trough, it has only been there a few years, at this point a branch line went down Bingswood Avenue over the bridge at the bottom straight on under archway into the works yard and so to the boiler house which had a tall hexagnal chimney. The chimney became unsafe even though work was done on it. It was decided, in the early 1930's to take it down and relocate the boiler house to nearer the river which runs parallel to the canal. This required another route to deliver the coal, so the old railway instead of filling up the boats on the canal with lime stone, was extended to cross the river by use of the bridge you asked about. The coal went right into the new boiler house which this time had a round redbrick chimney this was felled in, I think 1968, I need to check my diary on this. I lived in Bingswood Avenue in the on row the left until 1963 and used to watch the little diesel engine pulling the full trucks from the bottom of the incline at Bridge street and taking them to the printworks over the river and returning the empties to the incline. I will come back again with more information.

I asked about this locomotive on the Industrial Railway Society forum and the answer received from Russell Wear was that The Calico Printers Association Ltd at Bingswood was supplied with a 4 wheel Petrol Mechanical locomotive new in 1934 from F C Hibberd & Co, Works No. 1891/34. It went from Whaley Bridge to Derbyshire Stone Ltd at Ashwood Dale in 1954.

A web search revealed that this locomotive survives in preservation at the Chasewater Light Railway. A photograph can be seen at:

http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/images/stock_photos/diesel/derbystone.jpg

 

 

 

 

Digger  
#16 Posted : 10 March 2011 20:32:35(UTC)
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Thank you tarboat for the information.

It is very interesting and helps to paint a picture of a time gone by.

Regards.

Digger.

buggyite  
#17 Posted : 11 March 2011 11:54:12(UTC)
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Tarboat,

Excellent detective work there - I was already wondering if it was a "Planet" type or other Hibberd loco from George's description. Your googling skills are obviously better than mine.  As this type of loco was only around 9' 9" high, it would have been able to pass under the low bridge under the main line, so it might have been originally delivered by rail. With a weight of 8 tons, it would not have been too difficult to balance this with a rake of empty wagons to get it down the Whaley Incline, either.

The date of 1934 fits in perfectly with George's recollections, and with our guess as to when the bridge across the Goyt was put in.

Now all we need to do is come up with a photograph showing it at Bingswood!

 

 

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george  
#18 Posted : 11 March 2011 17:26:57(UTC)
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Thank you R.S.S. Tarboat, Digger and Bugyite for the information, all interesting stuff.

I'll now carry on where I broke off on my last posting. Having installed the workers from Ratcliffe into staff positions including the manager plus the boliers and printing machines they were ready for action. When the new Bingswood factory opened in1894 it had eleven machines and a twelve was added shortly afterwards. Seven machines worked on a system of gears Known as "stangs"which gave them only three speeds, all seven were driven by one large steam engine.

Cloth was transported by rail in the 1890's this was considered to be very dangerous especially with the track going down Bingswood Avenue between the rows of houses. A small boy was killed and another was severly injured by a kicking horse pulling a truck, protests led to a local paper becoming involved sometime about 1900. A man called Albert Wood from Sowerby Bridge in Yorkshire came to W.B. with his fly boats on the canal, he guaranteed that if the cloth was on his boats by 6 p.m. he would deliver it by 8 a.m. next morning and so transporting the cloth was done by canal which, was two days quicker than by rail. It was clamed that Bingswood finishes were the best in the trade due to miosture absorbtion while being transported over the water. When motor waggons came on the scene they took over carrying the cloth.

A great change came about in the early 1900's when the printworks became part of the Calico Printers Association.

george 

george  
#19 Posted : 12 March 2011 16:26:39(UTC)
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In 1893 the big octaginal chimney in the middle of the printworks yard was found to be leaning northwards four feet out of vertical. The C,P.A. were not happy about this consequently the chimney was made shorter by several feet. Then in 1922 it was four feet six inches out of vertical so it was decide to try and straighten it, bricks on the south side were knocked out and screw jacks were put in. The jacks were lowered a little each day bringing it more vertical, at the end of the week it was found to be only seven inches out of vertical. Shortly after the chimney was struck by lightning so a light conducter was added to avoid further trouble. However soon after the management decided build a new circular chimney which was alongside the power unit and boiler house on the river side of the works. Coal was delivered by rail crossing the river by the now hidden bridge. I posted some pictures of the chimney ready to be demolished a few months ago I don't know where they have got to so I will post them again.

In 1942 the factory was ceased printing cloth a small number of people went on to making munitions for the admiralty, the R.A.F. were using some of the building for storing biscuits, beding. the machine room was used for storing horse hair giving of a terrible smell. The military only allowed access to the works when presented with a pass.

In 1947 the woks was reopened with Mr. Heap as manager being responsible. There was excitement in Oct. 1947 when was printed, a two colour "para" block. I am not sure when it finally closed. I think it was the late 1950's, perhaps someone can supply the date.

george 

When the second world war came    

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george  
#20 Posted : 12 March 2011 16:36:19(UTC)
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