Monument record 5910/1 - Ironstone Railway

Mineral tramway associated with the ironstone quarries at Finedon and Wellingborough. The earliest parts were built in 1889 and it was modernised in 1934. The metre-gauge tramway was circa 3 miles in total length, and ore was transferred to standard gauge wagons near the mainline. There were 3 locomotives and circa 100 4-wheeled frames with 2 skips each.

{2} Mineral tramway associated with the ironstone quarries at Finedon and Wellingborough. The earliest parts were built in 1889 and it was modernised in 1934. The metre-gauge tramway was circa 3 miles in total length, and ore was transferred to standard gauge wagons near the mainline. There were 3 locomotives and circa 100 4-wheeled frames with 2 skips each. Due to close in 1966.
Recorded by NRIM, photographed and recorded.

{5} Archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2019 noted the course of the former railway. Some of the emabnkment survives as an earthwork and is c3m wide. In places the sleepers still survive. The tramline has until recently been used as a hedgerow boundary; now removed prior to development.

{7, 8} The mineral tramway described above (Source 2) along with another was visible on historical aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. The first tramway extended from the Midland Railway at SP 90440 69474 to the working quarries at SP 92278 69716. Another associated tramway extends from the Midland Railway at SP 90481 69120 and branched out to SP 91454 68971, SP 91754 69827 and SP 91551 70190 to workings and different periods of extraction.

<1> Tonks E., 1991, The Ironstone Quarries of The Midlands (History, Operation and Railways): The Kettering Area, p.87-123 (unchecked) (Book). SNN44039.

<2> Historic England, Undated, National Record of Industrial Monuments (NRIM): Index Cards, Recorded by GH Starmer, Oct-1966, Record No.NN13 (Archive). SNN113469.

<3> Starmer G.H., 1973, National Register of Industrial Monuments, (part checked) (Catalogue). SNN571.

<4> Arkley, G. and Walford, J., 2018, Archaeological geophysical survey at Stanton Cross, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, October to November 2018, p. 8 (Report). SNN111534.

<5> Shipley, A., 2019, Archaeological trial trench evaluation on Stanton Cross, Area 3, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: March 2019 (Report). SNN111608.

<6> Crank, N. (Editor), 2020, South Midlands Archaeology (50), p. 89 (Journal). SNN112426.

<7> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1925 RS 4246-4248 16-JAN-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<8> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/541/337 RS 4162-4164 12-JUL-1949 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<9> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Aug 27 2024 12:37PM