The LYR North Lancashire Loop Rose Grove, Great Harwood, Simonstone, Padiham. Lost Railways.

A walk along the Lancashire & Yorkshire Great Harwood Loop Line, this was also nicknamed the North Lancashire Loop Line. We start at Rose Grove, exploring the site of the engine shed, before moving on to Padiham and Padiham power station, our next stop is Simonstone before we move onto the marvelous Martholme viaduct and pit, our final station is Great Harwood and its many facilities before we complete the loop close to Blackburn station.
A very pleasant walk with a large amount of infrastructure still visible.
A brief History
The North Lancashire loop line was one of the most expensive lines built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway costing almost £300,000. The line was built in two sections centred on Padiham. The line nine miles in length left the East Lancashire line close to Rose Grove at Padiham junction with stations built at Padiham, Simonstone and Great Harwood re joining the East Lancashire line at Great Harwood Junction about a mile out of Blackburn. Competition from the nearby canal, congestion at Accrington Station and a desire to stop other railway companies gaining a foothold in the area were some of the reasons for building the line but its construction gave the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway the opportunity to tap into the heavy cotton trade in Padiham and coal traffic from the numerous pits around the line. Parliamentary powers to build the first section of the line from Blackburn to Padiham were obtained on 18th May 1866. Sturgess Meek the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways engineer was in charge of the project and appointed Mr Bowers as resident engineer. The contract to build this section was advertised in January 1870 and awarded to Thomas Stone and sons on 23 rd February 1870. The contract for all iron bridges were let to Yates foundry of Blackburn. The contract for the second section of track from Padiham to Rose Grove was advertised in November 1870 and awarded to James Gregson and Co on 5th April 1871. There were 39 bridges to construct on the line. Many problems occurred during the construction .There was a shortage of labour and some of the cuttings at Cunliffe, Norden and Great Harwood were massive. Materials from these excavations had to be moved further down the construction to build the massive embankments at Simonstone and Martholme.Old mine workings under the path of the railway gave problems with subsidence occurring during construction. Martholme viaduct was originally to be part built with wood but the discovery of coal during construction allowed the coal to be sold and pay for an all stone viaduct which still stands today. Towards the end of the contract for the Rose Grove Padiham section the contractor James Gregson went bust and the LYR Railway Company finished off the work with their own labour. The line between Padiham and Rose Grove opened for goods traffic on 1st July 1875 and for passenger traffic on 1st September 1876. The first passenger train left Padiham Station on 1st Sept 1876 at 06-45 with 70 passengers and one child. 10 travelled first class, 2 travelled second class and 35 third class. There was no major celebration just a small number of cheering children it was agreed that celebrations would take place when the line opened in its entirety. The first station master at Padiham was MR Thomas Garner. The line opened in its entirety on Monday 15th October 1877 and the first passenger train left Rose Grove at 07-35 arriving at Blackburn at 07-57. In the event there was no public celebration but the engineers and contractors representatives dined at the Bridge Inn Padiham where several toasts were proposed. The last scheduled passenger train left Blackburn at 10-47 pm on 30th November 1957 with just six passengers on board. The passenger service was officially withdrawn from 2nd December 1957. Great Harwood and Padiham stations were still used during Wakes Weeks for special traffic but this ceased in 1963. Goods traffic continued to use the line until 2nd November 1964 when the line closed to all traffic except that for Padiham B power station. Padiham station was demolished in 1967 and its coal sidings closed in 1968. Great Harwood station was demolished in 1965.

[@robharding5345]

The original station with its station masters house was beautiful.

[@AcornElectron]

Rosegrove, one of the biggest in the world at one point

[@railwaychristina3192]

Brilliant! I must visit.

[@richardsmith4972]

Thanks for the video Allan. I lived in Great Harwood until I was 18, and can remember the line in use. Me and a group of friends watched the last trains to pass by this route when they lifted the track. When the station buildings were demolished, my father bought some stone flags and he made a patio with them in about 1968 or 9. The section just after the station and opposite Railway Terrace was later filled in to create the green spaces and footpath. This cutting ran I think from the station to the cemetery, after which the line ran parallel to the canal. Brought back hundreds of good memories, thanks again.

[@whigwood]

The double gates at 3.17 were the main gates into the shed yard from Lower Rosegrove Lane. I never saw them closed until the shed had gone.

[@oddities-whatnot]

I know that area very well, amazing to see what it used to look like in the old photos. Hard to imagine

[@leeadams.1971]

I remember sending tanks from Stanlow to Padiham,when the route was opened.

[@paulknighton2000]

Why when you got to gt harwood, did you not follow the heys line loop, which travelled around gt harwood, passing down station road, passed the station hotel, up park Road, over a sml section of tesco carpark, then turned down balfour street past the abboitoir and back down adjacent to the mainline, crossing whalley Road, and going to the bottom of martholme viaduct( coal seam). Travelling the other way from station road, down the greenway( mainline) passing Alan Ramsbottom way, passed the graveyard, up past the very old football ground, and continued through the fields to the canal at Rishton. The opposite way continues past the railway station, and then crosses whalley Road again near to hyndburn Bridge pub. There is lots of evidence of the railway. I wondered if you might do the harwood loop line( comercial) it travelled to quite a few public houses. I think you it would be interesting viewing. Thanks

[@markhjones956]

Great video, brings back memories. The line was under threat back in the 1950s. However, when Mullard (part of the Philips group) was seeking a site for a TV factory, one of the positive factors was Simonstone station [by the way, pronounced as Simmonstone]. Philips sought assurances from British Rail that if the factory were built, the line and station would be kept open, to help workers get there for the shifts. A few years after the Mullard factory opened, BR welched on the arrangement. My father was Chief Mechanical Engineer at the plant, which had its own glass factory.

[@AcornElectron]

Power station line was operational for various reasons up until 94. Mainly transporting the bits of the power station away after demolition.

[@robertbartlett9084]

Thia was my playground 55 years back, I knew the Shedmaster Des Melia,lovely guy.

[@roykelly8103]

I used to go up to the shed after school back in the late sixties and the guys in the shed used to let my mate and me wander round the shed, in the cabs, under the engines and on a couple of occasions let us ride in the cab while they shunted trucks around. Good times.

[@lilchris26]

Thanks for this video, I have seen that viaduct from the road for years and wondered what line it was for, always wanted to take a look. I feel another walk coming on this summer ( 2022) Chris

[@gazjones8781]

Great video. Nicely researched. I used to cycle the path from Burnley to Padiham. Good to know the majority of it is still walkable, it'll be on my explore list.

[@paulhargreaves7928]

Unfortunately it was a no brainer to close the stations in the mid-sixties as regular services had ended in 1957 and running just holiday trains during wakes weeks was unsustainable. Enjoyed the video and only thing I noticed that was missing was one of the few remnants at Great Harwood namely the Stationmaster's House at the end of Station Rd. which contains a plaque to signify that.

[@AcornElectron]

16:34 that bridge has only come down in the last few years.

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

The road at 12:48 is a new one, built long after the railway was removed after passing the power plant, so there wasn't any level crossing here. The route at 27:58 is a cutting that has been filled in, like so many others elsewhere, a gross waste of public funds I think. And it's interesting to see that the canal which was built long before the railway is still there and the railway came and went and the canal survived.

[@AcornElectron]

This line is great until you get to great hardwood and discover it’s closed off on the top of martholme viaduct. Edited because I just remembered that the Calder bridge is also closed now before shuttleworth mead/the old power station

[@tiplady44]

Absolutely brilliant mate 👍

[@valleyforge1]

Have you walked the cherry tree to Chorley line. That's pretty close to this one

[@WYP-cz4zi]

Very interesting, and very well presented. Thanks for the upload.

[@paddy9021]

Lovely video, l remember it well. I believe the stations closed at the end of 1957. When the track was lifted I’m not sure. I made several visits to Rose Grove shed 10F when the spur to Padiham power station was still going strong.

[@dirktaylor5484]

Padiham station closed in 1957, so it's demise was pre-Beeching.

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

I can remember when rosegrove still had a goods yard, I saw it once briefly nearly 50 years ago. And now nearly 50 years on the station still isn't accessible for wheelchairs or mobility scooters, shame on network rail, come on get it sorted. And I remember walking down this line to padiham once as it still served the power plant until about 1991 and it was used on saturday mornings by oil trains. And I once saw some interesting looking rolling stock stabled at the power plant at padiham before it was demolished and the remaining railway removed, including a steeple cab electric loco, I don't know what that was doing there so far from any electrified lines. Anyone know what happened to it and the other rolling stock that was there?

[@genuinepersona]

Enjoyed that Alan, great video!

[@fluffymadsquirrel5946]

Really enjoyed the video but Simonstone is pronounced with an "i" and not an "I" for us locals. Big thumbs up, great.

[@johnhammond5015]

Hi. I have a photo of some kind of rod that is connected to some brick work at Rose Grove Hope you can help with the mystery. Best John

[@rogerchadwick2255]

Great video Allan

[@gedruane5696]

Great video live nearby may try and re trace your steps thanks

[@nickmelling4238]

What an easy walk it is now, all that Simonstone section was closed when I walked it, I cant believe they built some steps going up the missing bridge, they`ve cleaned so much of it up.

[@nidgehart]

Great video this. I’m a railway man through and through, but the one thing that really upsets me about disused lines, apart from the fact that they are disused. Aside from the track bed that is reclaimed for walking or cycling . It’s the shocking way that the ground they once occupied is left to look really, really uncared for and completely abandoned!

[@davidtolson7416]

2:56