A Missing Link - The Bolton to Bury Railway Disused Railway Walk

[@wideyxyz2271]

I always find it sad that a lot of railways closed forever in the year of my birth, 1964. A lot of those railways would now be very busy commuter lines. The Government (as always) being very short sighted and spending money in the wrong places. hindsight is a wonderful thing but a bit of thought for the future would have gone a very long way. Great video as always Ant.

[@lilchris26]

Nice video Ant, my home town Radcliffe. I have a cut down model of the Outwood viaduct on my model railway. If you decide to carry on on the other side of Water st Radcliffe on the canal, there is still the remains of the pillars for one railway bridge and Red bridge remains has a footpath, one of those was the line from Bradly fold junction and Ainsworth road halt. Off the canal you can still find the remains of some track in the trees where the track joined the main Line from Clifton Junction, what was Radcliffe North Junction, now the Manchester metro tram track. You can get pretty near to the metro tram track without breaking the law. Chris.

[@qsmdman]

Thanks!

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind thank you 🙂

[@hyper2high]

Thanks

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind indeed thank you 😊

[@hyper2high]

Thank you for the many miles and effort for doing these videos👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

@@hyper2high this was a very long day but worth it 🙂 Thank you 😊

[@hyper2high]

👍i grew up at Bradley fold in the 80s remember playing on the old platforms till they got ripped up in the 90s. I believe they shipped them off to Rossendale were the steam engine goes. Anyway subscribed now so i wont miss your videos👍

[@whitespider8523]

Very interesting with some great old photos. The line running past Bolton Wanderers football ground was probably used in the Arthur Askey film "The Love Match", where in the final scene a steam train stops directly behind a crowded football stadium.

[@benGBRf]

Great video Ant. You do find some good disused routes. Thank you for bringing them to the screen 👍🏻

[@shirleylynch7529]

Very interesting. Lovely old photos. Bridges and viaducts are sad to see all gone now. But you help keep everything alive by your walks and explores . Thank you Ant. Fabulous.

[@tony306dt]

I live in Bury and walked the lines before the ELR was opened from Ramsbottom to Bury. The old lines were a great place to walk round. Very interesting and miss the old railway. I enjoy the ELR and its history. Great video. 👍🏻

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for watching. It's an interesting area with a lot of loss. I find it quite strange that the Bolton to Bury link was lost

[@Teesbrough]

In my job I often drive past Ainsworth Road Halt and always wonder if there’s any ghost trace of the station name beneath the rust. It used to be painted in large capital letters on the metal panels of the girder bridge. As you’ll have spotted, only the west side girder now remains. Thanks as ever, Ant, for another very informative video.

[@antsmith8588]

Another wonderfull video.. This was an education due to menot knowing about everything in this video of my home area.. Thanks Ant.m

[@mattlund8170]

Another great video ant some nice then now footage 👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks for watching Matt

[@a11csc]

turning out another wonderful series Ant

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you 😊

[@philiptaylor4086]

Thanks! For years I've laboured under the misapprehension that Bury to Bolton was reopenable. Plainly it isn't.

[@2002barneyf]

At 5:49 there is a view of a Bolton Corporation tram at Darcy Lever terminus - this was the first tram route in Bolton to go over to buses in 1928.

[@ianr]

Superb video again Ant! 👍🙂

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind thank you 😊

[@davemc9268]

Fred Dibnah's local pub, the Lever Bridge Inn, was on Radcliffe Road. It was just round the corner from those cottages under the Darcy Lever viaduct which are at the bottom of Gorse Steps, which you can see in the photo at 5:42 (which may even of been taken from the pub).

[@WilliamHorrocks]

Another great video of an area local to me and a couple of nice references to the former home of Bolton Wanderers - Burnden Park, at some point when walking this line near Darcy Lever you would only have been 10 or 15 minutes walk from Fred Dibnah former home on Radcliffe road, Fred used to frequent the lever Bridge pub (sadly now permanently closed) which was in the shadow of the Darcy Lever viaduct .

[@JaveyEL6369]

Next to Burnden Park, facing Asda, is Alfred St, where Fred's parents lived. If you look up, you'll see an unusual chimney stack that he built and has since had a preservation order placed on it.

[@nickboden5866]

Another Superb Video Ant, it’s such a great shame all these beautiful Railways have gone, and all the hard work the people of the time had put into in it. I always feel sad of this wonderful bygone era. But as always you capture the whole magical experience on your walks with superb music and commentary.

[@simonballard6413]

Thanks, Ant. As usual, a lovely and interesting walk. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't know about so many of these hidden gems. Look forward to the next one.

[@JammyJan007]

Wow thanks, this is local to me, i travel round these areas suspecting there were some railway activity around in the past. Great pics and informative to our area.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Glad you enjoyed it thanks very much for watching 😁

[@AndrewBush-d2j]

My football club Bolton Wanderers I can remember the line it used to run across the old kop at burden park my late farther watched the club in the 50s thanks for this video

[@christopherbentley5216]

Marvellous video i remember tge railway at Burnden Park Saw Watford play Bolton facup 1970. I remember the semaphore signals.

[@andrewmaurerandrew6801]

Quality as always top man keep them coming 👍🍦👍👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Andrew

[@elainemclelland]

Great explore, Ant. I think you may have walked passed my sister-in-law's house on the 'new' development.

[@itsonlyme9938]

Looking at old maps on line it is amazing what can be found of old track beds that no longer exist. There was a very large goods sidings at Radcliff at one time and Whitefield had it own goods sidings and know it a housing estate.

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Plenty of impressive stonework and ironmongery still in situ, making for an interesting and enjoyable walk. Overgrown sections could be opened-up and made publicly accessible. Look forward to next instalment. Thank you.

[@stevenstopford9847]

Brilliant video many thanks 👍🏻

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Steven

[@greigs9384]

Have a look at the Heap Bridge paper mills railway if you’re out that way Ant. The Gandy Dancer productions channel has a great original film from the 70s when it was still active using steam. Track beds still exist although the paper mills have long ceased production. Great video as always ❤

[@SiVlog1989]

While I was at University, I regularly walked along the disued trackbed, even making a brief video about it myself (not as good as this mind you). I often paused at the second viaduct to take in the views :)

[@robertbush6652]

I'm guessing the covered viaducts are to stop suicides, believe it or not! Still another great video with lovely old photos. Cheers

[@TrekkingExploration]

Yes that's clearly what they are for it's just unusual

[@robertbush6652]

@@TrekkingExploration I'm retired police and you wouldn't believe how many people do it. At least they wont do it there does tend to destroy the look of the thing though.

[@bobingram6912]

Bit something and nothing this section but interesting all the same, thank goodness for those B & W heroes so we can get a taste of what it was like. Someone picked up a good deal on that meshing!!!!!! Thank Ant👍👍👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

I was a little bit in two minds of adding it onto the last one with not being much to see.... But I made it as a standalone thanks to finding a good few old pictures

[@michaelcowcill4936]

This Line can be seen in the Black & White Film starring Author Askey the love match the ending shows Burnden park football stadium

[@jetsons101]

Thanks to Ant for helping to keep local and regional "vintage steam" history alive.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for watching Mike as always 😊

[@jetsons101]

@@TrekkingExploration Going to the UK is on my list of things to do, I would be happy to buy you and Mr. Zero a coffee and lunch.

[@TrekkingExploration]

@@jetsons101 we'll keep an eye out for you coming 😊

[@tiplady44]

Lived in Bradley Fold 1944-70

[@sprograt]

Its pronounced Darcy Lever (Lee ver) not Liver, I live one mile from Darcy Lever you can walk the track bed at Leverhulme Park.

[@TrekkingExploration]

It's funny I did consider the pronoun on the day and thought I bet it's not pronounced lee ver 😂

[@Jimyjames73]

What's with the wire mesh over the Viaduct??? The 2 Viaducts on the M. T. are just as high & there are no 'Wire meshes' over them!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂

[@TrekkingExploration]

Yes I was very surprised to see them on both of them I can't recall ever seeing such a thing before

[@michael_houghton]

It’s only quite recently that the viaducts were opened to walk over. The wire mesh was put in then. Stops people climbing over to jump off I guess. H&S world we now live in.

[@JoshHodginsTrains]

I think it will comeback

[@Hedgerow-Media-UK]

The mesh covering those bridges prevents people from jumping to their deaths and vandals from throwing stuff below.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Yes I'm aware of it's purpose it's not something I've seen on all the others I've visited

[@Hedgerow-Media-UK]

@@TrekkingExplorationThere is a road bridge that crosses four tracks at Tonbridge Wells in Kent. That has a curved fencing on both sides of the bridge as it was a notorious suicide spot.

[@stephenharper9961]

Our parliament really sold our country to the dogs in the 50s 60s and 70s, it's crazy to think there's no two train service between the two

[@TrekkingExploration]

It is odd when you think the bulk of the route still exists

[@jennythescouser]

Lever is pronounced "le-ee-ver", as in Lord Lever and Lever Bros. Suggestion - when filming, pop into a cafe or corner shop and ask a local about name pronouniations. You'd be surprised how helpful people are, especially when it comes to local stuff.

[@silviadraper3670]

If this had been in Scotland they would have rebuilt the stations and reinstated the track with funding from Westminster

[@BecsterDotCom]

What's the reason for the mesh over the viaducts? Argh more graffiti!!

[@TrekkingExploration]

That mesh was rather annoying and unusual. Poor drone didn't get to play

[@BecsterDotCom]

@@TrekkingExploration 😭

[@StephenForster-z3m]

[@TrekkingExploration]

🙂🙂

[@greigs9384]

Thanks

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind thank you 🙂🙂