Cromford & High Peak- The Almost 200 Year Old Railway

In part 8 of this series on one of the world's oldest railway line - The Cromford & High Peak Railway. We start at Minninglow close to the limestone embankments. We continue our journey West towards the High Peak canal. Shortly into our journey we encounter the Gotham curve. An almost 90 degress bend, the Gotham Curve was once the sharpest curve on any standard gauge railway line in the UK.
We continue to cross the limestome uplands of the Derbyshire Countryside and Peak District. Crossing Newhaven level crossing before coming to the brick works at Friden.
The other notable feature on the line we'll see today is the short Newhaven tunnel which passes under the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne road. Almost 200 years old, there are stones which date the tunnel to 1825.
Bursting out through the cutting, we come to the junction with the later built LNWR line to Ashbourne - now known as the Tissington Trail. Built to a more modern standard, from here the High Peak Railway was altered to allow faster trains - more on this in later episodes. We can see the impressive cutting as the line heads off towards Hartington.
We then arrive at the site of the former Parsley Hay station. Not a lot of evidence remains of either of the original station sites. The original C&HPR and later LNWR stations. It was originally opened in 1833 for goods by the Cromford and High Peak Railway (which ran from Whaley Bridge to Cromford). It opened for passengers in 1856 but closed in 1877. The line was acquired by LNWR and extended to Buxton in 1894 and the station was reopened. In 1899 the LNWR built a junction just south of the station for a line to Ashbourne and built a new station.
***
On this series we'll be following the disused railway line the 33 miles from Cromford in the Derbyshire Dales over to Whalley Bridge in the High Peak. In the first part we look at the section of the railway that was extended to meet with the main railway line.
During the conception of the Cromford and High Peak Railway, canals were in fashion and railways hadn’t really taken off yet. The line exists as there was a desire to connect the Peak Forest canal (Manchester's industry in the West) to the Cromford Canal and the various industry in the East Midlands. A canal was considered but the number of locks to cross the peak district would be enormous.
So instead, a tramroad, or tramway was decided to be the way forward. Horse drawn with rope inclines at several locations to pull the wagons up the steep gradients.
An extremely ambitious venture at the time coming only a handful of years after the Stockton and Darlington railway. This makes it one of the world oldest railways. The 33 mile long line opened at the turn of the 1830s connecting the two canals and shortly after the horses were replaced with steam engines. The inclines were powered by static steam engines that we will see in later episodes.
We’ll see as we progress down the line, various challenges that ultimately led to the line's closure. Apart from a few quarry lines, the railway closed in stages up to 1967.
These days a large portion of the line is accessible as the High Peak Trail.
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[@alanwatts7304]

Great videos interesting to watch thanks😊

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Alan 👍

[@davegillman6296]

Absolutely fantastic run of videos keep up the great work please.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Dave. You'll be pleased to hear that me and Jim are starting our next GCR series this week too.

[@larx4074]

Belting!! The drone shots really highlight the unique nature of the route of this railway, many thanks for sharing.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Larx 👍

[@chrischapman7514]

Great video and great scenery biked it many yrs ago very interesting keep up the great filming Paul.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Chris. It's a very interesting line isn't it. Plenty to look at along the route

[@petercurrell9344]

Many years ago I walked from Whaley Bridge to the Erewash Canal over 3 days. Impressive inclined planes.

[@WobblyRunner]

@@petercurrell9344 That's a very decent walk.

[@ChrisWoutdoors]

Really enjoyed the video... New subscriber...

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Chris. Welcome.

[@maestromanification]

Great video for Saturday morning Paul. That signal post would have been the fixed distant signal for Parsley Hay junction. Fixed distants are a distant signal that doesnt move but tells drivers there is a stop signal coming up. They are still about today most modern ones are a reflectorised sign with a distant signal on it

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 is that the yellow ones on the boards you see? Like the one near Creswell

[@maestromanification]

@@WobblyRunner it that on the old Clowne branch? There are some on the LD

[@martinmarsola6477]

Another nice walking tour this day. Always an enjoyable walk along. Makes me think I’m walking with you both. Thank you for the video! Always a great time! Cheers Paul! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸

[@WobblyRunner]

Thank you Martin. Glad you enjoyed it

[@martinmarsola6477]

@@WobblyRunnerAlways!

[@john-pu5uy]

Phil is Back !!! Good little run out chaps- keep the content coming.... always like to watch your adventures before work--cheers -- some cool bridges....

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers John. 😄 I've just been out with Phil at the weekend filming the next 2 episodes too in the snow. 👍

[@richardperry5538]

Those were mile posts, you have them at the mile, quarter, half and three quarters, it's the same still on modern day railways.

[@Carolb66]

Hi Paul never knew there was another Gotham! That is so cool. The old steam train footage was brilliant I can imagine the train drivers dreaded winter coming in this part of the world. Beautiful scenery Paul this is one of my favourite series you have done, take care see you soon! ❤😊👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Glad you are enjoying the series Carol. We've already filmed the next few parts too. I love it up there. The history of the place has got me hooked.

[@Carolb66]

@@WobblyRunner ifs an amazing area. 😀

[@glynlittlewood7538]

Great series this Paul, very interesting history in a very remote place, keep on keeping on mate👍

[@WobblyRunner]

@@glynlittlewood7538 cheers Glyn.

[@ernestbailey9194]

the 1-4 post was a quarter mile post, used between even mile posts. There are half and three quarter mile posts as well. Lovely walk in the summer.

[@WobblyRunner]

Ahhh thanks Ernest 👍 makes sense. I never would have guessed that.

[@desnorton8293]

I watched you doing spinkhill tunnel at killermarsh a few years ago I thought I just tell you in the z60s I used to do a bit of poaching round there . And I got to know a railway worker that walked the track and checked the tunnel . He told me that during the war Churchill set up a secret army to do gorilla work when Germany invaded us he told me that some workers from the goverment worked in there converting one of the manholes into a hiding place to put arms food explosives they were not allowed to look so he couldn’t tell me which manhole it was and I thought the old man was just stretching things until I watched a documentary about this they built them all over the country and only a few knew were they were. And I often wonder if it’s still there .

[@WobblyRunner]

That's fascinating to think about isn't it. A few hours with a shovel maybe 😄

[@desnorton8293]

@@WobblyRunner it’s proberly still there when I was a kid i was born in staveley as you come into staveley on the staveley road from eckington just as you get into hartington on the left hand side there was a brick buliding in the field about a 100 yds from the road with a concrete roof with a steel trap door the door on the building was steel as well never knew what it was till 30 years after a kid who worked with me broke into it . And it was a lookout post during the war the home guard used to sit on the roof plane spotting under the floor was another steel trap door with steps down into a cellar with bunk beds and on the walls were silhouettes of German and British planes it now has been demolished I should love to have seen inside it .

[@eggy77]

​@@desnorton8293there's the building on the corner of the cricket pitch at Staveley, I forget what it is now but that was used during the war too, wasn't it.

[@desnorton8293]

@@eggy77 it was a pumping station

[@andrewmarriott4033]

Did the bit from fridon to parsley hay back in January 👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Nice section that

[@jeffreybail353]

are these tracks on laylines?

[@WobblyRunner]

I don't believe so, but that's an intetesting thought. I'd not considered it until now.