Monument record 8233/1/2 - Rope Worked Incline/Ironstone Tramway

Remains of an incline plane which carried iron ore in narrow gauge wagons from quarries at the top of hill to the dedicated siding on the Midland railway at the bottom. Mapped from lidar images as part of the Rutland Roman Villa project.

{1} Linear earthwork feature running N-S for over 850m. The central section of the feature is under arable crop and is no longer visible as an earthwork. At its northern end the bank is constructed of tipped earth and ironstone rubble with a ramp terraced into its eastern side. The northern end of the embankment is revetted with a stout wall of hard, lime mortared, rough hewn stone and concrete, the latter representing a later phase of use when the wooden tipping dock abutting this face was extended westward. The southern end of the tramway lies in a shallow cutting. The sides of this are revetted most noticeably alongside and south of the drum. 10 metres of revetting is in brick. Stretching south for some 30 metres the battered revetted walling is carried out in stone, with up to 13 courses of well laid and carfully cut rough faced ironstone blocks being visible.
Two sidings extended broadly parallel to the main railway line as far east as the track down to Tinwell Crossing. They were linked to the main line and by a western spur to the weighbridge. Both sidings are marked by the presence of earthworks, that to the south, a substantial embankment with occasional traces of timber sleepers being the most prominent. After weighing, full wagons would be run down into the lower level siding to the north before collection and removal by a locomotive to the main line.

{2} Remains of an incline which carried iron ore in narrow gauge wagons from quarries at the top of hill to Midland railway at bottom. Further up the hill (TL 004048) are the remains of the brake wheel at the top of the incline.

{4} Discovery of sleepers from the old tramway of the Wingerford Iron Co. were found when the quarry was reopened in 1902.

{5} The course of an inclined plane and dedicated railway siding which served the limestone quarry at Easton on the Hill the remains of which have been mapped from lidar images as part of the Rutland Roman Villa project. The incline extends over 700m south of the main railway line, through Home Wood to the northern edge of the site of the former quarry.

<1> Cadman G.E., 1997, Easton on The Hill Ironstone Quarrying: Reconnaissance Survey Report for SMR, (checked) (Report). SNN40038.

<2> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage Of Northamptonshire, p.29 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN104759.

<3> Tonks E., 1992, The Ironstone Quarries of The Midlands (History, Operation and Railways): The Corby Area, p.270-90 (checked) (Book). SNN39836.

<4> Tonks E.; Scholes E., 1983, Ironstone Quarrying at Easton on The Hill, p.9 (checked) (Book). SNN40037.

<5> Environment Agency, LIDAR Composite DTM - 1m, LIDAR Environment Agency 1M DTM 16-FEB-2009 (Digital Plots). SNN111710.

Record last edited

Mar 11 2025 12:23PM