Rediscovering the Great Central Railway - A walk from Arkwright to Staveley

[@jeffberesford480]

I was born in Middle Duckmanton, now just called Duckmanton, in the early post war years. My maternal grandparents lived on Gregorys Row next to the Stavely station sidings. Thank you for the memories you brought flooding back on your walk. I think the last overbridge you went under was from Speedwell Terraces to the offices and "baths" at the old Ireland Colliery. There was also a small Colliery called St John's (owned by the Cambridge College). In the early 1950s we walked a lot and can remember crossing the railway to walk from Ducky to Calow across the fields saving about one mile. Those crossings were near the Duckmanton North area on the railway. I live abroad now but often reminisce fondly about those days. Thanks once again

[@MrMuskegman]

I used to walk down this line from Inkersal when I went to Middlecroft school. I still remember when trains were still running on the single track. I would walk from Middlecroft school to Staveley where I lived as a boy. We used to play on the remains of the Staveley great Central Railway station. There was quite a bit of it left in the 70's. Ireland Colliery was still a working pit as well. My dad used to work there.

[@stevemorris289]

Thankyou for the video. It's sad these lines and stations have disappeared, but your video brings them back.

[@christinegibbins6105]

Many thanks Ant, really enjoy the video interspersed with the photos of the day. Take care.

[@davehanson7764]

Great video Ant, I oftern walked this line back in the eighties which for a time was still in use as far as Staveley to Arkwright , where you finished the video at Staveley just to the east where you was stood was the GCR Staveley MPD which originally was a 12 Road shed rebuilt in 1952 to just 5 roads and closed in June 1965 , the inspection pits were still visible in the early 1980's but a lorry park and depots cover the site now,

[@michaelmiller641]

Fascinating, Ant, but at the same time very sad! I can't believe that a place like Stavely wouldn't need a railway station!

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Michael. A station there I believe would be much appreciated

[@philliphammond399]

Hi Ant, thanks for another interesting video, can’t wait to see the rest.

[@benGBRf]

Brilliant video Ant. It's funny I was discussing with colleagues about this line to Oxcroft the other day at work. 👍🏻

[@seamusmcevoy2011]

An excellent piece of filming with plenty of information, I suspect that stuff around Duckmanton North Jnc was signal related, with the recess @10:50 possibly being part of the signal box? The GCR is always full of surprises.

[@shirleylynch7529]

What an interesting and enthusiastic. Explore. Lovely colours. And scenery. Music very apt as always. Thank you Ant. Excellent.

[@urbangeeze1348]

Ant, I'd say those two L shaped copings are put there as seating for walkers to take a break. They cost zero, & will Outlast any bench made of timber.

[@andrewnorth170]

I need to watch your previous video but this is very interesting with good knowledge of the area.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

My pal from Tupton Hall School, Moggy, (manax man!), did some shifts at Ireland...

[@johnlaw3323]

Another very interesting exploration Ant, but all that infrastructure just gone, almost without trace. Many thanks for all the effort you put into these vlogs that brings history back to life for us. Really appreciated by all of us who follow your channel.

[@bobingram6912]

Nice follow on explore Ant. Just a boring old road where Staveley Station used to be, hard to believe that that characterful setting has been completely wiped off the map as well as that mass of yellow lines😥😥

[@g8ymw]

The West side of Staveley Central was clipped by the flats built in the mid 70s just after I started work at Staveley Chemicals The GC at that time was a long siding from Beighton to Arkwright pit also serving 2 (?) pits at Killamarsh 19:00 This was the spur to Barrow Hill put in at about the time of the miners strike allowing the rest of the line to Beighton to be lifted

[@TeriWilde]

I often cycle from Poolsbrook to Rother Valley and back, I might go and explore the trail down to Arkwright. Keep them coming Ant 👍

[@nigelgladwell1783]

Another series of videos ant love the content brilliant videos as always

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you very much Nigel. I have one more to come from here 🙂

[@ccjelley2390]

@6:08 Hardwick was the associated brickworks of the Hardwick Colliery Company. [see flickr]

[@jetsons101]

Thanks Ant for all the walking you do. Looks like winter is not far off, nice to get some rain. The UK has so much railroad history, between that and cannels you'll have subject matter for years to come.... Thanks again.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Mike. It's been a hectic couple of months but I'm very much enjoying getting out 🙂

[@jetsons101]

@@TrekkingExploration When and if I make it to the UK I'll buy a coffee or a brew.

[@lilchris26]

Thanks for this video Ant, I really appreciate the work you put into these interesting videos about the history of the area. Chris

[@chrisbayly5457]

So informative as always, really enjoyed it

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Chris

[@showmanpete2805]

great vid thanks for sharing

[@andrewlong6438]

Excellent video. Enjoyed presenters delivery and their enthusiasm. It’s a shame that line has been closed but we do have a proper walking/cycling route.

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thank you for the second part of this trip with you. Your explanation of the trip is very interesting and informative. Your the best, Ant. See you on the next. Cheers mate! 😊

[@thoughtsonfitness3249]

I love anything Great Central, I know THIS is gonna be good!

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you. I'll be back to do more soon

[@jasinere35]

the cut out in the cuttting was where the signal box was next is the remains of an access bridge you do come across the remains of a few railway stations it took me several hours on the bike to cover this & since ive move onto pastures new paul wobbly runner & yourself ant have jumped to the challenge of doing this great trackbed you will find more than i did & have fun doing it

[@Giove83]

The bit you asked about where you said you didn't think it was a bridge, it was a really big bridge and the tractor used to go over it to get to the other fields.its been knocked down now about 15 years ,also great videos buddy enjoying them all.

[@peebee143]

@09:45 you have found the remains of a chipping bin. Would have been loaded with 5mm granite chips for measured-shovel-packing. A task carried out by a small gang on their 'length' and using specialised equipment to keep the 'top' dead level. They used a special measuring tin which was much like the proper, old pint measures for shellfish off the barrow.

[@mrsgenehunt48]

Beautiful scenery peppered with reminders of history. Thoroughly enjoyed that journey with you. Great work 👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it

[@owenpavey]

Ant-0.17 seconds in.If you went through the bushes behind you,ducked down and veered left, followed the line of trees at the boundary you would have found the bridge over the LDECR and some wooden railway sleepers left behind after the 1964 closure.Dont know if you have explored that on other blogs,will take a look later. Elsewhere,it's good to see people exploring the semephore signal & coal board "made safe" occupation bridges,they were so covered in brambles people barely knew they were there till i had a clean up. I wanted to clean up the Duckmanton North Signal Box retaining wall as well but DCC rangers werent keen on the idea.

[@tracya4087]

just what we needed , i am a long lost signal box hunter too , thanks and all the best from nick , tracys husband in wigan lancashire , ps ever found out of interest , i ve found a few gems

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Nick. Glad you are enjoying these 🙂

[@peebee143]

@11:07 that recess is probably where the junction Signal Box used to be.

[@margin606]

Never been to your part of the world, but an interesting video nonetheless. Thank you

[@Richard_Barnes]

Nice one Ant 🙂

[@carlharris2808]

Looking at other videos of this line they say the brick building with the slopes was the old duckmanton north signal box and the wooden post with the white paint was a semophore signal post.

[@eggy77]

I only recently noticed that despite going that way many times, my first thought was that it housed a signal box. I think the brickwork has been cleared recently so it's more visible.

[@jessgerrard2792]

Good to see you in and around my neck of the woods Ant. Played on that stretch of line near Inkersall when I was a kid in the late 70s/early 80s when coal trains used to still run on it between Arkwright and Staveley. Thanks for posting

[@supernova8357]

Grew up inkersall too, I would have been about 5/6 when the line was taken up. I remember seeing a few trains in the last years of use, still remember the red crane used to take up the tracks and dad taking me for a nosey at them doing it

[@levelcrossing150]

A great video, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Terrible to think somewhere the size of Staveley has now all gone.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks so very much. 🙂 Staveley is shocking now in comparison

[@Jimyjames73]

Hello Ant, @ 11:27 - just my guess - looks like / sounds like a mini halt / station to me -'Duckland North Junction'. Always enjoy watching your vids!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[@TrekkingExploration]

Duckland 😂😂😂 Thanks for watching 🙂

[@Jimyjames73]

@@TrekkingExploration Oh Did I get that wrong - that is what I thought you said!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂

[@TrekkingExploration]

@@Jimyjames73 it's Duckmanton

[@richarddoran3877]

There's a lot of disused lines around there to keep you going for more future explores. Thanks for another interesting video.

[@TrekkingExploration]

I'm hoping so Richard. Derbyshire and South Yorkshire are both keeping me away from Nottinghamshire recently

[@peebee143]

Thank you!

[@MisterHughie]

Have been really looking forward to you doing Arkwright and Staveley, you mentioned in the last video that you managed to clamber up the embankment alongside the Arkwright Colliery land, was anything of interest up there? Fantastic work as always, you really need to be on TV, really was excellent, thank you 🙏

[@peterrobinson903]

The Hardwick bricks you found would have been made a few miles south of Arkwright on the GCR at Holmewood. Heath and Holmewood station was the southern junction of the GCR Chesterfield loop, Staveley being the northern junction. Hardwick refers to the Hardwick Colliery Company which owned collieries in that area.

[@simonrichardson5077]

i love your videos Ant,thanks lad

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Simon

[@michaelhollingworth1536]

I think you have just walked over what was part of the ‘Chesterfield Loop’,which of course has totally vanished from roughly where your walk commenced.

[@g8ymw]

No, not the Chesterfield Loop, that started at Heath and is under the A617 (Mansfield-Chesterfield road when it was dualled) That was the LDECR from Chesterfield Market Place to Lincoln. Blocked at Scarcliffe Tunnel (subsidence?) between Bolsover and Scarcliffe village Were you around Chesterfield in the 70s-early 80s? Horns Bridge. This was were 3 railway lines crossed. GC Chesterfield loop in a cutting Road on the level Midland on an embankment (The line that is still there) LDECR higher still which was the brick arch bridge

[@michaelhollingworth1536]

@@g8ymw yes thanks,I was around chesterfield in the 70’s-80’s.

[@exileinderby51]

Another great video Ant, scenery and local history, what's not to like! An idea for those concrete structures, maybe for ground frames for points?

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks as always. I think you could be correct

[@StephPNE]

Brilliant

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you 🙂

[@supernova8357]

The two large stones you found at middlecroft were from a now demolished bridge structure that was just off calver crescent, went over the railway to access the fields.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for clearing that up. Thank you for watching 🙂

[@peebee143]

@10:00 You have found an old rodding stool (it is laying on it's side) which would have supported (point) rodding worked from a local Signal Box or Ground Frame. There would have been a whole row of these. Or it would have been used as a base for a signal wire pulley (usually made from a sleeper offcut) where a wire run changes direction.

[@jasinere35]

ants doing the route ive already done & its a long one aswell also between staveley & rother park the chesterfield canal follows along the side of the old trackbed for a short distance

[@trainsinkansas576]

Nice video Meriden, Kansas

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks so very much 🙂🙂

[@shavedphil]

Hello. Was the track single track under the A632 bridge ?

[@TrekkingExploration]

It would have been double but reduced for the colliery workings

[@desnorton8293]

That wall with the graffiti on with the steel fence on top was the sight of 3 railway house were right at the side of the railway Thurther back from them houses was the speedwell terraces old pit houses the bridge just a few yds away from that wall led down to Ireland colliery about a 150 yds on left.just after you walked pass that bridge about a 100yds on your left were that industrial estate I’d was the site of staveley engine sheds my playground.about two hundred yds from the bridge was a massive water tank built over the line,that was demolished in the early sixties.just a bit further up in your left we’re fire station is there was a signal box there was a line went that way through the edge of staveley to holingwood

[@DB2hull]

2 Platforms for the workers?

[@bexhil7]

A interesting video of Rediscovering the Great Central Railway - A walk from Arkwright to Staveley!.❤❤🧡🧡💛💛💚💚💙💙💜💜🤎🤎🖤🖤

[@TrekkingExploration]

Appreciated Michael 🙂

[@a11csc]

plenty to see on that walk ant

[@xboxcrazee]

Always fancied a look around the coalite site but always seemed to have security…🤔🤔

[@TrekkingExploration]

I visited there in late 2019 maybe they have tightened up a bit

[@eggy77]

​@@TrekkingExploration I wouldn't even contemplate it for quite a while yet, the whole site is fenced off on both sides of Buttermilk Lane. They are planning on making the old line into a greenway in due course though, once work is finished on the site. They are in the process of knocking down the railway/road bridge on the A632 though.

[@b4mouse]

The infrastructure lost around Staveley is unbelievable.

[@TrekkingExploration]

It's unbelievable isn't it? I knew I'd seen it before but seeing it again on the maps I was astounded

[@eggy77]

Only a fool would attempt to climb up those embankments 😁

[@TrekkingExploration]

I looked at them again yesterday and thought..... No.... No

[@eggy77]

@@TrekkingExploration 😄😄