Fritchley Mineral Line

It was back up to the Crich area this week to continue with tracing the old mineral lines around Fritchley.
When we parked up the sun was just bursting over the horizon bathing everything in beautiful warm light.
We walked down to the bottom of the village to see the best preserved part of the old incline.

Retaining wall of the Frichley Mineral Line

You can just see the lintol at the bottom of the wall. Presumably  a walkway under the line.

The coping stones are old stone sleepers from the line

The earliest record of a mineral line in Crich is the old tramway constructed about 1793. This was a subsidiary of the Cromford Canal, the engineers being W. Jessop and J. Outram. The purpose of the tramway was to bring down lime stone excavated at the Old Hilts Quarry (now known locally as Newt’s Pond Quarry) to the canal at Bullbridge where the lime kilns were situated.

The mineral tramway was an unusual gauge (three feet ten inches), The track is now overgrown with weeds and bushes but several stretches can still be travelled. There is a short tunnel near Fritchley Green and the old engine house still stands near the Old Hat Factory, The line of the tramway and the site of the various Quarries can still be traced on the Ordnance Survey maps.
Some contradictory reports are riven of the various forms of transport used by the Butterley Company on this tramway, but-it is fairly certain that at first horses drawing five trams in both directions were the only transport.

Later two self-acting inclines were in use, one from the Old Quarry to the Hat Factory, the second from there to the Wharf and Lime Kilns at Bullbridge, horses being retained for use inside the quarry itself.

In 1813 one of Brunton’s walking steam locomotives constructed at Butterley Ironworks was tried out on this tramway, and it was decided to dispense with horses and use the machine in the quarry.

About 1850 the old Hilts Quarry was abandoned, and new Hilts Quarry, much nearer Crich, was opened out, this necessitated a third self-acting incline from the quarry to a junction with the tramway near the Hat Factory,

During the closing years of the 19th century the old quarry was again used to extract limestone with the two-fold purpose of obtaining as much mineral as possible and of keening the Kilns in work when difficulties arose in the new workings.

The Old Quarry began as an underground working and was later (1808) opened out leaving a short tunnel near the entrance. This tunnel is reputed to have been cut in boulder clay and become unsafe, so that it had to be opened up when it was renamed Klondike, the name giving a clue to the probable time that these events took place.

It is recorded that 30,000 tons of limestone were taken from the Hills Quarry in 1860, The tramway was finally closed in 1935. (Info from Garlic. S. L. "Further Notes on Crich")

Geoff on one of the bridges over the Fritchley tramway

Tramway line went under this bridge

The track of the Tramway line

Geoff

Ike

Geoff snapping the Engine House sign.

The old engine shed with the Hat Factory in the background.

Rob, Ike & Jim in front of the old Hat Factory.

The entrance to the old Hilts quarry

This is Incline Cottage.

Ike discussing the size of the fish that got away.

On the track

We encountered a substantial obstacle for us old uns.

Another Style near the old Engine Shed. This one had also got some  stone sleeper blocks in the wall.

Don't know whats holding this tree up

The brook exiting from the Bobbin Mill Lane

Fritchley Congregational Church dated 1844

Remains of the Lime Kilns at Bullbridge.

Old railway bridge

Just spot the lime kilns through the arch.

Another really interesting walk tracing some of the old tramways around Crich & Fritchley.

About 10 minutes after we parked up the sun disappeared and we were engulfed in fog. None the less it didn't spoil a good morning.

Cheers

Crich and George Stephenson's mineral railway

We returned to Crich this week, to try and follow the route of the now defunct mineral railway track built by George Stephenson.
George Stephenson is known as the father of railways, he built the first public line in the world to use steam locomotives. He was born in Wylam, Northumberland in 1781 and is buried in Chesterfield Derbyshire when he died in 1848.

The quarry at Crich Cliff incorporated a mineral railway which was constructed by George Stephenson in 1841. This railway was some two and. a half miles long. There were two inclined planes worked by wire rope, the steepest part, some 500 yards long, was said to be the greatest in the country, being a gradient of one in ten; the gauge of this railway was one metre. Cliff Quarry was closed down and the railway ceased to operate in 1957. Several reasons are given for the closure, one being that the edge of the quarry was now dangerously near Sherwood Foresters Memorial.

In 1857 the cross, listed as a market-cross, was then stated to be ancient. It was described by a local poetess, Ann Perry, of that time, as an old blackened wooden cross. That Cross was taken down and replaced, in 1871, by the present-day stone cross which was designed and made by a local man, Isaac Petts - to whom there is a memorial in Crich Churchyard."

Top of Crich Cross

Wheatsheaf  House where George Stephenson entertained his guests over a jug of ale.

Alleyway to the rear of the Wheatsheaf

Tunnel at the bottom of a private garden.

Back of the Wheatsheaf

Part of the route of George Stephenson's mineral railway.

This roadway leads over one of the old railway bridges.

St. Mary's Church Crich

Just note the thickness of this gable wall. We think a cottage has been demolished to make room for the road.

This is George Stephenson's Tramway Bridge on Coasthill

Just after the Coasthill Bridge there was a huge Arch that ran across the road to the Market Place. This was demolished and a housing development is now in the area.

George Stephenson's railway arch

Geoff in a private garden getting a shot of the tunnel

This is Geoff's photo from 2006

Crich fire station is opposite the start of the upper footpath

A view of Crich Stand, showing just how close the quarry is.

Ike

Looking over towards Wingerworth

 We had our breakfast on the lane next to the old engine shed.

Geoff having a chat to some walkers.

Chadwick Nick Lane Old engine shed

Some lovely views on this walk

This walk into Crich was like going into Dr. Who's Tardus. Small on the outside but when you get into it, surprisingly large. Trying to follow the route of the mineral railway through Crich was dogged by new housing developments and roads although there is still evidence there if you look hard.
Crich is well worth a visit with a wealth of history just under the surface.
Cheers
Jim