The Bury–Holcombe Brook line was a 3+3⁄4-mile (6.0 km) single-track railway line which ran between Bury Bolton Street railway station and Holcombe Brook railway station via seven intermediate stations, Woodhill Road Halt, Brandlesholme Road Halt, Woolfold, Sunny Wood Halt, Tottington, Knowles Halt, and Greenmount.
History
| Bury and Tottington District Railway Act 1877 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act for making a Railway from Bury to Tottington, with branches, in the county palatine of Lancaster. |
| Citation | 40 & 41 Vict. c. clvii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 August 1877 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Bury and Tottington District Railway Act 1880 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to authorise the Bury and Tottington District Railway Company to raise additional Capital; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 43 & 44 Vict. c. iv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 June 1880 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Act 1888 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for conferring further Powers on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company with relation to their Undertaking and to enable them to acquire the Undertaking of the Bury and Tottington District Railway Company and to confer further Powers on the Halifax High Level and North and South Junction Railway Company with respect to their Undertaking and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 51 & 52 Vict. c. cxl |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 July 1888 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Authorised by the Bury and Tottington District Railway Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. clvii) and opened in 1882 by the Bury and Tottington District Railway, the line was taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. cxl). Initially the line had stations at Woolfold, Greenmount, Tottington and Holcombe Brook[1] with additional halts opening at Woodhill Road, Brandlesholme Road, Sunnywood and Knowles Crossing in 1905.
The railways herein-before referred to and authorised by this Act are wholly situate in the county palatine of Lancaster, and are—— Section 5, Bury and Tottington District Railway Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. clvii)
- A railway (No. 1), three miles three furlongs four chains and seventy-five links in length,[a] commencing in the township of Elton, in the parish and borough of Bury, by a junction with the East Lancashire Line of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company nearly opposite the house called Chamber Hall, and terminating in the township of Tottington Lower End, in the said parish of Bury, at or near the junction of the Elton and Blackburn turnpike road with the highway (formerly the Edenfield and Little Bolton turnpike road) at the southern side of the village of Holcombe Brook:
- A railway (No. 2), on the deposited plans and sections called (No. 4), wholly situate in the said township of Tottington Lower End, two furlongs and one chain in length,[b] commencing by a junction with Railway (No. 1) at or near a point on the road leading from Moss Side to Hopkinsons about one hundred and fifty yards, measured along that road in a south-westerly direction, from the bridge over Kirklees Brook, and terminating near Messrs. John Olive and Sons' waggon building shed at Woolfold, about three chains, measured in a south-westerly direction, from the highway leading from Bury to Tottington.
Passenger services operated until 1952, while freight services continued to Holcombe Brook until 1960 and Tottington until 1963.
Electrification
In 1912 Dick, Kerr & Co.‘s Preston factory were considering tendering for a Brazilian contract and approached the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway to use the branch for test purposes at Dick, Kerr's expense. The line from Bury Bolton Street Station to Holcombe Brook was electrified with the overhead 3.5 kV dc system, rolling stock was also supplied at their cost. After prolonged trials the trains entered public use on 29 July 1913. The L&Y purchased the equipment and stock on the successful completion of the trials in 1916. During 1917 work started on the branch to convert to third rail to match the Manchester to Bury system. The third rail trains started to run on 29 March 1918.
Kirklees Trail
The section of the line from Greenmount to Bury town centre has been converted into a pedestrian and cycle route, the Kirklees Trail, forming part of National Cycle Route 6. Sustrans built a new 65 metres (213 ft) long bridge over the Kirklees Valley to replace the demolished Woolfold viaduct.[2][3][4]
See also
Notes
- 3 miles 34.75 chains (3.43 miles, 5.53 km)
- 21 chains (0.26 mi; 0.42 km)
References
- "Townships: Tottington A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5". British History Online. Victoria County History, 1911. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- "Railway line renovation in Bury". Sustrans. Retrieved 12 February 2018. Includes photograph of new bridge
- "Kirklees Trail". Visit Bury. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- "Bury's bid for £500,000 towards Kirklees Trail". Bury Times. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2018. Includes description of demolition of old viaduct
Further reading
- Littleworth, Chris (2014). Signal Boxes on Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Lines: North and West of Manchester: Part Two. Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society. ISBN 978-0-9559467-6-9.
- Suggitt, Gordon. Lost Railways of Lancashire. ISBN 1-85306-801-2.
External links