A Tale of Two Lost Branch Lines: Rediscovering the Ramsey Branch Lines 

I remember driving the locos from Somersham to Ramsey East during my school holidays when I was 12 years old, now I'm 76. They were good days. My father was the Station Master at the time. I was born on the Station at Elton and grow up on the railways until I was 16.

Another wonderful & professional production, so glad somebody is documenting our railway heritage. 👍👍

Thank you for this film, it's probably the only record of these two lines. You are recording history, not 'just' making RU-vid videos. But so sad that lines such as these are now gone - and what happebed here was repeated all over the country. I am not yet 70, but in that relatively short lifetime I could have travelled on these lines, but they are now so utterly lost that most people who live in the areas once served would have no idea they ever existed. Not even any station buildings left - at least you usually get some of thrm remaining. Nothing but the name of a road, that probably few people ever wonder about. I wonder how many Station Roads there are across the country, where the line that station once served is now not even a memory...

Great video, in 1976 I had a friend who worked in Warboys Brick Works, he was called Mark Stokes and owned a brand new Ford Capri 3000, his girlfriend was a policemans daughter called Moira Logan, I explored the 2 railways in 1973 and 1974, taking pics at Somersham, and Ramsey North, and Ramsey St Marys and Holme, I had booked on a special train hauled by a Class 08 in 1973 from Peterborough to Ramsey North but the train was cancelled due to poor condition of track, I still have the letter from British Rail somewhere cancelling it. From the 1930s to 1973 the top speed of the line was 15mph, photos of trains on the line seem extremely rare especially of diesel trains which were Class 08 hauled from Peterborough, right now the site of Ramsey North is being cleared to build housing, I have one book only on this line. I hope some one can get some photos of the station site being cleared..

Apart from a couple of bridges and an abandoned warehouse all signs of these railways seem to have been scrubbed from existence. Nature reigns. Finzis' gentle but sombre music suits the mood.

Many thanks for the excellent film. I used to drive high speed trains from Newcastle to Kings Cross through Holme, so I could see the track bed branching off at Holme towards Ramsey across the fields. I appreciate the time and effort you have taken into researching the history of both branch lines to Ramsey.

Excellent film. I'm fascinated by lost railways, but at the same time, filled with an odd sadness, and yes, anger at their loss. In an area as bleak and remote as the Fens, you would think that transport links to remote points would be a necessity - and what better than rail? But, if you haven't the passengers or commerce, then there's no escape from closure. But that's not always true, as we know too well. I was born in 1963, and can just remember seeing the odd steam engine. And being a bit scared of them, too!

Thank you for making and posting these terrific videos. I only became a derelict railway enthusiast a few years ago and am staggered by the content. A particular shame that so little remains of these two lines. Why couldn't someone see the sense of mothballing lines that weren't required, rather than lifting the track and destroying all that infrastructure forever?

Another sad but great video! And keep up the calm style without shouting and any disturbing music. Greetings from a Czech railway fan!

Very interesting and well produced. It's a telling point that both lines closed to passengers long before Beeching, although parts were still useful for freight; the story of much of East Anglia. Thanks for introducing me to the Finzi piece, a very appropriate accompaniment.

I have only recently discovered your channel and what a lovely surprise it was, beautifully filmed and produced with a clear and informative narrative. I will now start to work my way through the older videos and I have also subscribed so that I won't miss any new ones. Many thanks for all the effort that you obviously put into the above video. I grew up when all trains were pulled by steam engines and although there are still many to be seen on heritage lines they do not have quite the same magic as the working steam engines did.

119 years.. Heartbreaking when I think about it.. Fantastic tribute thanks for that.

Congratulations on rediscovering yet another pair of lost railways! The added bonus is the music of Gerald Finzi making its first appearance (I think) on your channel. Yet another atmospheric piece from the English Pastoral movement!

I really enjoy your audio commentary videos: your other videos are great (and much appreciated for the information and attention to detail), but the audio just adds another dimension to the historic aspects that thoughtfully presented videos portray.

Excellent film as always, and one that brought back some memories. I lived in the area from 1972 to 1988 and I walked the tracks of both lines in 1973 and went back to them several times. Somersham station was ruinous but virtually complete and would have made a fine heritage site. It was great when much of it was rescued by Sir William and reused at Fawley Hill. Ramsey North still had track at the time and I 'preserved' one or two cast iron sleeper numerals which I've still got in my shed. Both lines were always hopelessly uneconomic and neither station was near the centre of the town as I recall.

What a truly professional and fascinating film. Beautifully filmed with an informative and excellently delivered commentary this should set the standard for all such documentaries. Well done, you made my morning.!

This one is local and I only discovered the track bed to Ramsey from the other side having covered nearly all the rest, this being the Somersham to Chatteris line from St Ives. If only these railways where in existence today it would solve so many transport issues.I really like the steam engine sound running as a ghost of the past when viewing what has become the last vestiges of the railways existence.

Well worth the wait. Another beautifully produced video that reminded me of places I used to pass on my bike when I went for rides as a teenager. My late father often mentioned Warboys brickyard - he worked at Norman Cross in the 70s.

In the 60s, Ramsey East was just over the fence at the back of our house. The station building was in a very poor state by then, but some of the storage buildings were extant & in use. The platform remained intact. About 1966 a factory making breeze blocks was built over the track immediately outside the station. The process of making them was very noisy and caused my mother to have a breakdown. The old station area is now a housing estate. The trains from Ramsey North were apparently known as the ‘Ramsey Flyer’. The red brick building at Holme Crossing replaced an earlier one which was smaller but taller. I remember desolate nights in winter coming back across the Fen from various nocturnal activities, sitting with engine off for many minutes waiting for the trains. The only sound was the occasional ‘ting-ting’ of a bell in the box. Sometimes you had to wait for up to three trains.

I always watch your videos, and it always take me back to my child hood, I feel sad things have to change but change they must. Please please keep your videos coming so the next generation will remember these lost lines. I've reached well over three score years and ten in age and remember only to well the built over and destroyed railway lines in and around Bristol including central Bristol. Keep up the good work my boy.

Ah! The atmospheric dankness of the English autumnal countryside!

I hope you enjoy this film. You can really help by giving it a *like* as well as *sharing* it and *subscribing* Let me know what you think in the comments below! Might you consider supporting my channel even more? www.buymeacoffee.com/rediscovering

OH MY GOD AM IN TEARS. I enjoyed this. Living near there as well. Thanks.

All these disused track beds could be brought back to life and where needed used for light railways ie, trams,

I left you a message some time ago asking if you were going to feature these lines, you were good enough to tell me you already had and would post the video soon. Well, what a treat, and thank you, these lines will soon fall into total obscurity and its right and good they should be documented with respect. You did them both credit and, as usual, the presentation just gets better all the time.

Yes another nice production.....Thanks!

Another real gem of a video ,and great too see a couple of relics still surviving ,atvb' Mick

This video that even a small village like Ramsey has an interesting railway history

Another really interesting film.The music always compliments it perfectly.

When i went back to the UK from New Zealand in December 2018 to visit family, my grandad was driving me around cambridgeshire and norfolk and was saying "there used to be a railway line here, i remember it shortly before it closed" (most in the mid sixties). I was completely at a loss to picture a railway in these agricultural landscapes, and now built up areas, since theyre so long removed. This channel really does a great job of bringing back to life the presence of the long-gone era of railways. I can tell youre southern-based because i know of many branch lines in lancashire (where i was born) that are still very traceable and plentiful. Maybe some day when this channel really takes off and travel becomes more free.

Well done on producing another brilliant, fascinating but sad story of a bygone railway.

Enjoyable and informative thank you. During the course of my employment I occasionally visited this area by car but I had no idea then that these lines had once existed.

I was brought up in Ramsey during the 1960s and recall watching the last days of the Northern branch line to Holme from my bedroom window. On most weekdays a small shunter would bring one or two freight trucks across the fens. The flat landscape enabled me to follow the train almost throughout its journey with binoculars. At night we could see the lights of the expresses on the mainline just South of Holme. If I might make a small correction based on local knowledge: on the East branch the bridge on the golf course crosses “Bury Brook” which flows through the town in a North Westerly direction in a culvert beneath the Great Whyte. See riverlevels.uk/flood-warning-bury-brook#.X-srIi3fWhA It emerges close to the site of the North station where it becomes known as High Lode, joining the old course of the River Nene in another mile. Our school cross country run used to cross this bridge. Happy days!

¡Hola buenas tardes! As ever, a fully detailed and fascinating look at our railway heritage. Your productions never fail to hold the viewer’s attention and, your thoughtful narration helps to enhance the often sparse or missing views which once were. I look forward to your next outing and subsequent presentation. In the meantime, stay safe and well. Un saludo. Gary.

These are cool vids. I'm the same as you, I have an interest in this kind of industrial heritage, I find it amazing how so many man hours and indeed lives went into building a railway, only for it to become bankrupt. I call myself a 'closit trainspotter' but thanks for providing me with my 'fix' and now I know there must be more of me than just me!!

Thank you very much for this. Excellent film, superbly presented. Superb content.

Amazing how you can work any of it out at all since we see very little - if any - sign of either rail link, albeit 50 odd years after cessation of services. Excellent film nonetheless!

This was one of the most enjoyable series of mini videos i have ever watched. A credit to your research, delivery and content.

Enjoyable and well produced video

A video I just saw is outstanding keep up the great work read the Lord's blessings be with you and all that produced this keep up the good work I give it an A plus for a job well done

Just spoke to my Father and he said my Grandmother used to take the train to school..... And she was born on Station Road Warboys..... He used to see the steam from the trains across the fields when he visited his Granny

Short but one hell of a good watch my good sir

Excellent!!

Thank you, a really enjoyable film.

Thank you for yet another excellent video

I have had the pleasure of standing on Somersham Station at the Fawley Hill railway. It was a grand day out as they say and I got a footplate ride up the insanely steep hill into the station. It is a truly wonderful place and a railway lovers dream. Oh and fantastic film as always 👌

Fantastic video keep up the good work enjoyed that one

Great video!! Thanks 🇳🇴🇸🇪

Another fascinating insight. Never ceases to amaze me just how blinkered and short sighted government policy was and still is in some ways..

My Father grew up in Warboys from 1943 I'll give him a call tomorrow and ask him what he remembered about it. I still have family there, I never knew it had a station... Thanks for your latest film but I do miss the dramatic classical music

Yet again a great production. You’re improving with each one. Looking forward to seeing the Kings Lynn to Hunstanton film when it’s ready. So glad to see someone recording what’s left before it gets swamped away by the plough.

What a wonderful film. It's a shame that there is so very little left to see of both the branch lines. I hope that the bridge structures and that little piece of line can be retained for prosperity. Thanks so much for virtually taking me along with you - I really enjoyed it.

Superb! Quality presentation as per usual, you do spoil us. Thank you.

Fascinating

Superb work once again. Thank you. Nice music also, never delved into the work of Mr Finzi...might have to.

Fantastic video again! Well researched,superb photography and narration. Good to see your subscriber count increasing! 🙂👍

I did enjoy your video as Ramsey and Holme are fairly local to me. Indeed I often video steam specials on the ECML at Holme, after they pass Offord and I race to Holme to get a second view. these videos are on RU-vid

Another fascinating video. Thank you.

A bit late viewing this time as the notification bell has ceased to function! But well worth waiting for as usual, thank you, Mike.

Yet another extremely interesting video from you... Thank you my friend...

The Beeching cull in the 60's was obviously done for financial reasons but it ruined our railways and all the wonderful branch lines.

I believe you can walk most of the track bed from Somersham to Chatteris, I think the road from Chatteris to March is on the trackbed most of the way then splits off close to March, worth a look maybe? Unless you already have of course. Love the videos especially the ones in Cambridgeshire as they're so close to home.

Lovely video and up to the usual high standards.

Another very interesting video! Ramsey is a town I'd quite like to visit to see the abbey gatehouse.

Wonderful work and amazing choice of music for the background Very entertaining and educational A great piece of work once again as per usual You never fail to amaze me

Never thought you'd get to us so soon. I've always felt saddened by the fact that in my lifetime at least, very little remains of this line. Much like the abbey, I suppose.

Nicely done!

Ah,lovely..as I knew it would be.

I love these types of videos. The topographic map you use occasionally to show the lines (such as at 1:10, after the Google Earth shot), is that a physical scanned one or is it an online service? I'd love to take a look at the area myself as well. Thank you.

lovely

You know I really love your videos and I'm guessing that maybe and in the far future that these abandoned railway lines will be reopened and they will be connected to each other in the near future like 2050 or something

What a fascinating subject this is, but also tinged with sadness of so much loss. We had a railway system that was underused, as I believe road transport became the flavour of the period from parliament / Department of Transport. Why weren't the branch lines just mothballed and the routes protected for future use I wonder? Thank you for looking back at that period and sharing your knowledge in an interesting format.

An interesting video, with accompanying detailed history. Much preferred to the uninformed ramblings of some other well known explorers.

well filmed, if you have a look on google satellite the Holme to Ramsey line can be seen clearly, Ramsey to Somersham can also be seen , but has quite large sections ploughed out.

Sounds like the chap who did the narrated journey on the WWLR!

As ever, thank you so much for sharing.

These videos are amazing. Great history. Do you walk the route or cycle?

I live on the Holme road to at Mary's part of the track. My barns are made from the old sleepers from the track👍🏻

The history of the railways of Ramsey is much more fascinating than you've made out. A line between Holme and Somersham was first proposed in 1859 and an Act of Paliament authorising it was passed in April 1860 only for a meeting of shareholders on 5th May 1860 agreeing to abandon construction of the line due to a shortfall of about £3,500 in the funding of the line. On22nd July 1863 the Holme to Ramsey line opened under the joint ownership if the GNR and GER. The GER surprisingly had the majority share in this line, whilst the GNR ran the trains. But all was not happy. The GER feared that the GNR planned to use this line to build a line to Ely, do they took control of the original line and got an Act of Parliament in 1865 to build the line from Somersham to Ramsey High Street. Once the Act was passed they leased the original line back to the GNR and eventually, 16th September 1889, completed the line from Somersham. In 1923 both lines passed to the LNER and although a connection between the now renamed stations of Ramsey North and Ramsey East had been authorised it was never constructed. The LNER had asked for the connection as 2 branch lines to so small a market town were unjustifiably. The Somersham to Ramsey East line closed to regular passenger services on 22nd September 1930, and to freight on 17th September 1956. Whilst Ramsey North lost its passenger service on 6th October 1947, and to freight on 2nd October 1970. The brick works at Warboys, which had become the terminus of the line following the closure of Ramsey East, switched to road transport for all but bulk shipments of bricks by 1930. The last freight train served Warboys o 13th July 1964, the ,east passenger train having departed on 22nd Seltember 1930. The Fens have hundreds of water courses that need to be crossed.

Wonderful, as always with your films. (N.B. At 8:41 you mean "the late 1800s", not 1900s.)

it is so sad 😥to see these once used railway gone forever when it should still be in operation passenger numbers declining🤔 was the problem i expect

Isn't the house on the cross roads at warboys the original station house. It's near the haunted road bridge.

Why was it that the bed was allowed to flood?

Could you do a video about a town in Cheshire called Winsford, we once had 3 railway lines in the town one of them used to service the Salt Mine (the UK's only salt mine) to transport the salt that was mined (and still is to this day) there along with barges before lorries were introduced as well as 2 passenger lines but sadly only one exists now which is along the mainline that connects Liverpool Lime Street with Birmingham New Street, Could you look into it?

2:10 Demolished or dismantled? Also a perfect opportunity to show it reconstructed at the museum.

you should have a look at the mothballed Lichfield Wallsall line,

Interesting the branch between Holme and Ramsey could rather easily be brought back even over half a century later.

Great work have you done media work before.