The Potteries Loop Line Rediscovered - A Disused Railway Walk 

Another great video. So much infrastructure gone, makes me sad and angry. As building anything now is such a struggle.

In my part of the World Ant. Thanks for sharing the local history. I really enjoyed this one.

Another fascinating walk, great commentary as always and great 'then' photos to compliment whats left today. Top video once again.

The photo of the bridge at 19:48 was a mineral line that went to Clough Hall Colliery on the left. As you said there were 3 tracks along this part and a junction went off from the the third track on the left to the Colliery. The junction is behind the photographer of that photo. Brilliant video, thank you.

Another superb walk! I loved the corrugated tunnels and the larger one. That set of wheels and the part of the little engine were pleasant reminders, too. So much marvellous railway history. Thanks, Ant.

a very interesting walk ant and a lovely piece of history of a disused railway which is now a walkway xx

Ah..Titanic Stout. Now you’re talking mate! Great vid! I wasn’t aware of this loop although my dad worked in the Power Box at Stoke Station so he would have done I’d have thought.

History aside, fascinating in itself… the way nature claims back and leaves little relics is just as beautiful as the vintage industrial look it once had! Another great trek! Lovely to see you in south wales on the old coal lines there too! Most are now beautiful walks up the valleys with some viaducts still in situ 👍

Another excellent video, thank you. With regard to the picture of the bus going under the bridge at Market Street station, I would date it more in the mid 60's due to the Leyland FG in the picture which weren't built until 1960/61.

Amazing corridor for exploring.

Brilliant video Ant! Potteries Loop Line is one of my favourites. Birchenwood tunnel was a rare example of a tunnel being built to accommodate 3 tracks. 🙂👍

Very enjoyable walk through a transformed landscape - with some interesting railway remains along the way. Nice to see that much of the former trackbed is readily accessible.Thank you.

It's good to see the former track bed is still walkable and not totally obliterated like others.

I love the contrast in foliage from past to present. Very little in the way of vegetation or trees on the old photos, contrasted by the lush vegetation on this video!

Another excellent production, Ant! Thank you very much 👌😃

Yet another short sighted closure. A crazy waste of infrastructure. Thank you.

Every video you do is brilliant Ant. You always get a like, even if I don.t comment!

Great video! The downside to disused railway lines is that there’s a lot of stations gone,thing remains! So it’s always exciting to see what remains are there! A line I’m excited to see for my self eventually!

I did read the open cast mine maintained a connection way up into 1976 for moving freight which is prob why that 1970's shot showed quite a decent line still in use.

Superb video as always, liked the Green Class 40 in one of your images.

Another brilliantly evocative video. I remember walking a lot of this route when I was at Uni at Keele in the early 1980s. By that time, a number of the tunnels had already been bricked up and/or infilled to the full height of the tunnel. I made the trek to Birchenwood tunnel - at the time I went, the landscape all around was particularly neglected and overgrown, and it looked as though the area all around was used for motorcycle scrambling - my photo from the time is similar to the first black and white one that you show.

Excellent video.

The orange water comes from the iron deposits in and around Harecastle hill. I cycle along there quite often and it's fascinating to learn a bit more about rhe route! Have you ever followed the Biddulph Valley way from Chatterley Whitfield to Congleton? That's also a lovely route.

fantastic Ant

The Potteries main line was opened in 1848, following the low ground, except Harecastle tunnel. The North Stafford Railway were reluctant to build the Loop Line, because of the steep gradients needed to reach the higher ground. Local town councils in Burslem and Hanley eventually succeeded in pressuring the company to commence construction. Once opened it was a rich source of passenger and freight revenue. Trams and lorries, and buses, stole much of the profits by WW2. Excellent video of the remains of the route.

Another fantastic video, Ant. Bravo! I'm an honourary local (Mancunian living here for 16 Years) and walk sections of the line (especially Tunstall>Kidsgrove) quite often. Some added info for you if you're remotely interested: Where you ascended back on to the track bed near the Asda, that section used to run on to a huge, beautiful Iron Viaduct that crossed over the A50 (the road you just left) and ran almost to Tunstall station. You can see the remains of the abutments on the roundabout close to the larger Asda near to Tunstall Station. Just after Tunstall Station, the steps that you saw were the remains of the ones that used to lead up the embankment to Tunstall Station. Birchenwood Tunnel is a rare beast and was indeed designed to be 3 wide but I belive it was never used as such but spent most of it's life not as a triple or even as a double but as single track tunnel (I could be wrong). I believe there was a partial collapse of the hefty retaining walls at the Southern portal in the 70's which is visible on the approach. Finally, if you ever visit again, take a look at the refuges, they're only about 2 or 3 feet high as the track bed has been raised by about 3 or 4 feet since closure. Keep up the great work, it's marvellous to see you exploring these hidden gems!

Hard to imagine that green corridor was once a busy line in a built up area. Good walk Ant👍👍👍

Nice video and perfectly timed just before the football!

Thank you Ant, lovely walk for most of the way. even a few platform edges still visible in the undergrowth. Lots of "Armco" lined in filled bridges over this line. The copper coloured water reminds mee of the Bridgwater canal at Worseley, Salford where the water comes from the abandoned coal mine tunnels, very common in mining areas where iron ore was associated with the coal deposits.

great video nice one and thank you.

Always so interesting, thanks for another great video!

I could never understand why it didn’t survive. Given the very populated area

Thanks Ant .... Fascinating explore so much info and so many great old photos. Top job !!

Cheers Ant another awesum informative railway video cheers mate.

another good and informative video

Fascinating stuff ❤

That "steam boiler section" is the smoke box from an ex GWR locomotive.

Very nice indeed. Thanks for posting.

Nice one Ant.

Another super video Ant. I was told that the soil around the canal is rich in iron and that is what gives the canal that rich colour.

A up me ducks it's called bycars lane . I've walked along there on a number of occasions. Congratulations on an amazing video mar mate

thanks for the vid Ant another great chance to see railway relics l would other wise not see big thumbs up

Sad to see another old Railway line closed - but I suppose it is good that you can walk or if it was me to Cycle along the original Track Bed!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂

Would be amazing if you covered the North Lindsey Light Railway, so much still exists and some stories to tell…

Another great video Ant, this line’s not too far away from me, I’ve walked and cycled it a few times, I think bearing in mind traffic conditions between Kidsgrove and Hanley I think Stoke could do with a train or tram service running between Kidsgrove and Stoke station. I

i think you might be interested in the old railways around birkenhead . Full of things to see there a few things on youtube well worth a look at.

Thank you,Ant.😂

PMT stood for Potteries Motor Traction

Red is iron green is Copper

Do we know which engine that front came off?

Water looks like it has a lot of iron in it due to the red color

Such a useful diversionary route...why didn't it stay open? Why has Wedgewood on the main line closed? We are building so many houses, , Governments are trumpeting their net zero credentials...but will choke the roads with even more cars@😮

It's Mow as in Cow