Barnsley disused railway explore and walk from Stairfoot to Cudworth along the old Midland Chapeltown Loop.
Today we’re looking to follow the route of the former Midland Railway - specifically the Chapeltown Loop from Stairfoot to where it joins the North Midland main route at Cudworth. Bit of a messy one this with lots going on. The line opened in 1899 between Cudworth and Monks Spring junction, which is on the current Barnsley to Sheffield line (as the name suggests via Chapeltown) and was an alertnative route coal trains or diverted passenger trains could take up the Midland line to Leeds
We're approcaching the old Stairfoot station along the former Great Central Railway. The station is now known as Stairfoot Station Heritage park with a selection of steam engine wheels and a loading guage. At Stairfoor we are joined by the Hull & Barnsley Railway and the viaduct above where the Midland Railway spans Stairfoot.
As we continue our walk, we see the disused Ardsley Tunnel, closed in the 1960s when the Chapeltown Loop was closed and the line from the north diverted away from the tunnel.
Next up is Ardsley Viaduct, or Sunnybank viaduct. Brick pillars and lattice ironwork viaduct spanning the valley. Now fully open as part of the Transpennine trail.
The Midland Chapeltown Loop joins the North Midland Railway mainline at Chapeltown Line Junction just south of Cudworth. This line linked Wath Road near Swinton to Normanton towards Wakefield and Leeds. Closed in the late 1980s, this was a wide embankment with many lines width.
Next we see Cudworth station, starting with the magnificent remains of the water tower.
Cudworth opened in 1840 under the name of Barnsley. Despite being some distance from what we would now refer to as the centre of Barnsley. It changed it’s name to Cudworth for Barnsley in 1854, before dropping Barnsley altogether in 1870.
It closed in 1968 when passenger services ceased on the line.
Quite a large station, which as well as the Midland Railway also served the Hull & Barnsley Railway
16 окт 2024
