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North Dean (Stainland) Branch (Greetland Junction to Stainland)
1875 - 1959
Lancashire & Yorkshire railway
Contributors:  © Reproduction prohibited / Matt c / Andrew Stopford / John Lawrence / Malcolm Mallison / David Webdale
The Route
From Greetland junction, east of Greetland station, to Stainland (terminated)
via Rochdale Road Halt (opened 1907), West Vale, Stainland & Holywell Green.

Length
1 mile 988 yards.
Original Company
Opened by the Lancashire & Yorkshire railway company.
Greetland station was originally known as North Dean,
renamed Greetland & North Dean in 1833 & Greetland in 1897.
The earlier branch to Shaw Syke was opened in 1844.

Opening
 1st January 1875.

Closures
Passengers - 23rd September 1929.
Freight - 14th September 1959.

 

 

 

 

 


                   8 West Vale
Railway Ramblers gazetteer
See also the Railway Ramblers gazetteer -  Calderdale : LY&R Greetland No2 - Stainland
Clay House Lane : Malcolm Mallison
 Rusting parapet of bridge at Clay House Lane. Cutting below long since filled in.
Rochdale Road : Malcolm Mallison
 Cutting south side of Rochdale Road.

Greetland
Opened 07-1844. Closed 08-09-1962.
Greetland : Bernard Coomber
 Class 8F at Greetland with coal empties for Healey Mills flat top Greetland signal box in the background.   See also Calder Valley line
Greetland (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
Bayford's Oil Depot at site of Greetland Station/Yard - still rail connected but connection not used for many years.
Greetland (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
As this shot shows!
Green Lane (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
Site of level crossing, Green Lane, Greetland
 
Green Royd (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
Boundary wall - houses on the line of the track.
Rawroyds (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
Filled in overbridge further along Green Lane.
Rawroyds (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
Decaying railway boundary fence posts, off Green Lane.
Viaduct (07-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
Holywell Green Viaduct seen from the south side.

West Vale station
West Vale station map (1890) : Malcolm Mallison
Station Road Hollywell Green (05-08-06) : Andrew Stopford
Two views of the high road bridge over the branch at Station Road, Holywell Green.
To the right (as you look downhill) was where the yard at the end of the branch was. The site is now a chemical based works.
Station Road Hollywell Green (05-08-06) : Andrew Stopford
The view uphill.
 
Stainland branch line (05-08-06) : Andrew Stopford
Looking down onto the branch from the bridge in above photo's.
The last quarter mile or so of the branch has been made into a private access road for the works.

Stainland & Holywell Green
 Stainland & Holywell Green station map (1890) : Malcolm Mallison

West Vale Viaduct
 West Vale Viaduct (23-02-08) : Andrew Stopford
Work in progress by Sustrans to make West Vale Viaduct (Stainland Branch) into a footpath.
Note : West Vale Viaduct (26-05-08) : John Lawrence
I've just been looking at the pics on your site.
On one pic of the West Vale Viaduct on the Stainland Branch there is a JCB working on it in readiness for opening a cycletrack/footpath.
Well unfortunately this isn't going to happen now. Over the last few years some new houses have been built overlooking the viaduct and the new residents said they don't want people walking past their houses.
The delay has meant that funding has now been withdrawn! I live on the old trackbed and this would have made a lovely walk to nearby North Dean Woods but because of a few NIMBY's this isn't gonna be possible. Maddening! 
West Vale Viaduct (30-05-08) : Andrew Stopford
Stainland Branch - View along the deck of the restored viaduct - this was going to be a footpath but there has been some NIMBY activity!
West Vale Viaduct (29-07-14) : John Lawrence
Good news. The Footpath/cycleway over Stainland Road viaduct on the Stainland Branch has finally opened, after 6 years of trying. The council eventually built a new access path on land it owned off Green Lane. I went over it at the weekend.

Stainland Branch (30-05-08) : Andrew Stopford
Stainland Branch - Halifax side of West Vale viaduct looking towards Halifax
Greetland Viaduct : Matt c
Got some pictures of the North Dean Branch Railway which ran from a junction on the Halifax to Brighouse line just before
Elland station. This line had only one intermediate station at Greetland and a terminus station at Stainland.
The line closed in 1917 to passengers and to freight in 1930.
Saddleworth Road viaduct : Matt c
Some pictures of the two viaducts and the iron deck bridge on the route.
The iron and deck girder bridge, West Vale : Matt c
And pictures of the the iron deck bridge on the route.
West Vale Viaduct : Malcolm Mallison
 West Vale Viaduct.  Leaning over parapet, trying to emphasise curve.
West Vale Viaduct : Malcolm Mallison
 West Vale Viaduct, general view with town.
An astounding structure to build on a two mile dead-end branch line serving a couple of mill towns.  

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