Bicslade Tramroad
Encyclopedia
The Bicslade Tramroad was a branch owned by the Severn and Wye Railway
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...

 in Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...

, Gloucestershire, England. The first stretch of the line was opened in 1812, two years after the Severn and Wye Railway
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...

 opened in 1810. It was expanded over time to serve the collieries and quarries
Quarries
Quarries - The "Royal Quarries" — not found in Scripture — is the namegiven to the vast caverns stretching far underneath the northern hill, Bezetha, on which Jerusalem is built. Out of these mammoth caverns stones, a hard limestone, have been quarried in ancient times for the buildings in the...

 in the Bixslade valley
Bixslade
Bixslade, occasionally written Bix Slade, is a short, steep-sided, valley in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. It begins on high ground at Bixhead, near Broadwell, and descends sharply to meet the Cannop Valley at Stonyhill Green...

, (even though the S&WR
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...

 named it the Bicslade Tramroad); the last stretch, to Bixhead Quarry opened in 1855. The branch closed in the 1950s.

History

Opened in 1812, the line ran between Bixhead Quarry and Bicslade Wharf. It served the Forest of Dean Stone Firm, Union Pit, (also known as the Bixshead Slade Pit), Monument Mine, which still operates today, Mine Train Quarry, Bixslade Low Level, (also known as Bixslade Deep Level), Hopewell Mapleford Colliery, Bixslade High Level, (also known as Bixslade Land Level), Spion Kop Quarry, Bixhead Quarry and Phoenix Colliery as well as several other minor quarries. Extensions and sidings to the quarries were constructed continually between 1812 and 1855 to cope with the different industries of the area. In 1855, the tramroad
Wagonway
Wagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...

 reached its largest extent, at that time there were two passing loops.
From 1874, when the Severn and Wye Railway
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...

 was converted into locomotive power, the cargo carried by the line were transferred at Bicslade Wharf onto trains to be shipped to their destinations. In 1899 stone from Mine Train Quarry was being sent via the branch to the Marquis of Bute for work on Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...

.

Traffic slowly declined during the early years of the 20th century; on 25 July 1944 the last stones was transported via the line, coal traffic stopped in 1946. The tramroad
Wagonway
Wagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...

 was operated by horse-power until traffic finally ceased in the 1950s, by which time it was the last working horse-powered
Horse-drawn vehicle
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load...

 tramroad operating in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...

.

Today

Nearly all of the Tramroad has been converted into public footpaths and the nearby Cannop Ponds
Cannop Ponds
Cannop Ponds are two large ponds, just north of Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The ponds, and surrounding area, are a popular tourist destination....

 (which used the tramroad as a dam) are now a popular visitor attraction with a picnic site owned by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....

. The Monmument Mine is now one of three mines still operating in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...

. A guide along the path of the tramroad has been published by the local history society and is available in many nearby shops.

External links

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