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Newtown Goods (Midland Railway Extension)  Page: 1 of  2    [ 1 2  Next >> ]
1910 - 1968
 Midland Railway
Contributors:  © Reproduction prohibited / Simon Green / David Webdale
The Route
From Newtown Goods yard 1/2 mile North of Huddersfield station.
To Mirfield junction 1/2 mile West of Mirfield station.

Length
5 miles.

Opening
 1st November 1910.

Closures
Between Mirfield & Red Doles - 1937.
Between Red Doles & Newtown - August 1968.
 
Original Company
Opened by the Midland Railway company.
The branch from Mirfield to Huddersfield was originally part of a bigger scheme called the Midland Railway Extension.
The Midland planned to build its own mainline between Sheffield & Bradford, to avoid the congested areas around Leeds.
The Lancashire & Yorkshire eventually gave the Midland running powers on its lines so the scheme was never completed.
The line only reached as far as  Dewsbury, where it terminated at Savile town goods yard, opened in 1906. see routes map & Royston - Savile town

Despite this the Midland still built the Huddersfield branch between Mirfield & Newtown goods yard.
It was designed for two tracks, but only one was ever laid. It spent its whole life used only for local goods traffic.
The original plans were for Newtown to have a big passenger terminus & a hotel.
 The newly formed London, Midland & Scottish Railway connected the Newtown branch to the Heaton Lodge to Huddersfield line at Red Doles in 1923.
The Mirfield to Red Doles section was hardly used & was closed altogether in 1937.

The Newtown Goods Line route maps
The two pages of the Newtown Goods Line are divided into a series of two modern street maps.
The route of the old railway line is combined with modern street maps & shows the crossings over or under roads where possible.
Of course many of the road bridges over the line have now been filled in underneath & the railway bridges over the roads have been demolished.
We follow the route northwards from -
Newtown Goods Huddersfield to Mirfield junction.




 		  






   You are here: Map 1 Huddersfield
   Newtown Goods - Fieldhouse Bridge

 

Map 1 Newtown
Newtown goods - Fieldhouse bridge
Midland Newtown to Mirfield line shown in green.
 Existing Huddersfield Leeds line shown in black.





























 
North Eastern Gas Board Railway 1922 - 1966
Entrance to The gas works. (12-04-04) : David Webdale
A rail connection was made from the goods yard to the gas works situated down on the other side of Leeds road.
The route took it under the L.N.W.R Huddersfield to Dewsbury line, across Bradford road, down the middle of Beaumont street,
across Leeds road & across the canal. For street working, the steam engines had guard rails fitted over the wheels.
In the photo the rails to the left of the building crossed the road here to the other side of the works.
From the points in front of the kings mill carpets sign, a section of track does a circular route around the gasometer.
Huddersfield Gasworks Railway
A short exploration of a railway built through the streets of Huddersfield
to take coal to a gasworks. The site closed in 1972 : jpbexploration@gmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c964xLeRpwg
Looking back towards the entrance. (12-04-04) : David Webdale
From the points (behind the Kings mill carpets sign)  the track can be seen to veer off to the right, where it crossed the canal.
Coal was brought in & coke was taken out. A man walked in front of the engine with a red flag.
Canal crossing facing east towards gasworks (07-08-16) : David Webdale
Between Leeds road bridge & Gasworks street bridge the track crossed the canal here on a bow string concrete deck bridge.
Canal crossing facing west towards Leeds road & Beaumont street (07-08-16) : David Webdale
The other side, concrete supports visible.
Beaumont street facing east towards gasworks (07-08-16) : David Webdale
The remaining short section of Beaumont street, close up of pothole next photo.
Great Northern street crosses in front, beyond is the Great Northern retail park & in the distance can be seen the gasometer.
Before the retail park was built Beaumont street carried on down the other side to Leeds road.
Beaumont street (07-08-16) : David Webdale
Potholes reveal the old tracks & cobbles.

Newtown Goods
 Newtown & Birkby maps 1918 : David Webdale
 Left hand map south, right hand map north.
Newtown Goods (Ringway trading estate) facing East (31-05-03) : David Webdale
Boring, nothing to see here. The site of Newtown goods yard, taken from Willow lane facing towards Huddersfield.
The original route track route ran somewhere down this road. It veered off to the left to cross Willow lane bridge. (see next photo).
Willow Lane facing South (31-05-03) : David Webdale
One of my favourite remnants this. I like those ceramic bricks, reminds me of the London underground.
The brick & stone archway spans Clough house mill beck. (see Newtown map) Probably an iron deck bridge spanned Willow lane.
Halifax Old road facing North (31-05-03) : David Webdale
Taken with Willow lane just behind, facing toward Mirfield. Its all gone a bit cycle path now on here,
an attempt to copy the Spen Valley Greenway I think. The bridge in front carries Halifax Old road.
Honoria street facing North (01-06-03) : David Webdale
All this areas been filled in, but access under the bridges has been maintained. In this cutting was a siding just to the right.
(see Birkby map 1918) The bridge in front carries Honoria street.
Back Honoria street facing North (01-06-03) : David Webdale
Another one of my favourite bits. Taken from beneath Honoria street, back Honoria street crosses in front.
All the streets in this area were built on the Thornhill estate & named after family members.
Honoria is the name of the second wife  of a bloke called William Capel Clarke, who married into the Thornhill estate.
His first wife was Clara Thornhill. Clara street joins Honoria street to the right.
Bradford road facing East (01-06-03) : David Webdale
Taken from Cobcroft road. The bridge in front carries Bradford road. The bridge under here has been filled in & the remaining stone work has been completely destroyed by over complicated cycle path gates & stuff, but at least the route has remained open.
Bradford road facing East (01-06-03) : David Webdale
Close up of Bradford road bridge, solid or what.
Alder street facing East (01-06-03) : David Webdale
A bit further on is Alder street bridge, almost completely filled in.
Steam Navvy, Fartown cutting  (c1902) : Simon Green
This shot kindly donated by Simon Green, showing line under construction.
From a postcard, post dated 1902. Writing says "Midland Rly extension Huddersfield Steam Navvy Fartown Cutting"
Red Doles facing West (c1980) : David Webdale
 The site of Red Doles junction Taken from Fieldhouse bridge, facing towards Huddersfield.
A picturesque 1980s photo of a 47 hauled passenger on its way to Leeds. The Newtown goods track bed can be seen on the right.
The bridge over Red Doles road is just visible in top left.
Way back in the 12th century this area was used for growing high quality grass by a method of flooding.
The "doles" were the shares of individual tenants marked out by stones & the word red is derived from "reed".
Fieldhouse bridge facing East (c1980) : David Webdale
Facing back towards Leeds, a 47 passenger on its way to Huddersfield. Fieldhouse bridge in background.
To the left of photo can be seen the bit where it crosses the Newtown goods line.  (see next photo).
Fieldhouse bridge facing East (01-06-03) : David Webdale
Fieldhouse bridge, facing towards Mirfield. Cycle path provides good access to the council estates for stolen cars to be torched.
 

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