Mansfield and Pinxton Railway
Encyclopedia
The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway was an early horse-drawn railway company in the United Kingdom
, constructed in 1819 to transport coal between Mansfield
and the head of the Pinxton
branch of the Cromford Canal
and thence by the Erewash Valley
and the Trent
to Leicester
. Its importance lies in its influence on later railway building in the area, particularly the development of the Midland Counties Railway
.
quarry owners and miners had built wagonways to transport heavy goods. As larger projects were proposed, usually where the terrain made canal building impracticable, outside investment was required. Railway promoters became required to justify their plans and their likely viability before Parliament
, as had been the case with canal
building. Thus the Mansfield and Pinxton became the first railway in the East Midlands
to be incorporated by Act of Parliament
, in 1817.
Although the idea of the railway was mooted in 1811 there was considerable delay while a decision was taken as to what form it should take. Wagonways had developed into steel plateway
s, for which Benjamin Outram
of the Butterley Company had gained considerable expertise. His partner, William Jessop
, had however, pioneered the use of fish-bellied iron edge rails on the earlier Charnwood Forest Canal
. In the end, his son Josiah, as engineer, used the latter.
The first load of coal arrived in Mansfield on April 13, 1819 and was taken to the marketplace to be ceremoniously burnt. Costing less than £25,000 to build, its original purpose had been to carry stone and lime from Mansfield, but it soon proved its worth carrying coal. It facilitated the opening of a number of new pits, for which branches were provided, along with a branch to the Butterley Company's works at Codnor Park. Another important cargo was moulding sand from Mansfield. Although, in the long term the railway would bring prosperity to Mansfield, it initially caused a great deal of distress to the horse dealers and wagon masters, many of whom lost their livelihood. In 1832 a coach was introduced each Thursday (the market day) for second and third class passengers from the Boat Inn at Pinxton Wharf.
Lack of transport had for a century put the Leicestershire miners at a disadvantage, but in 1832, they opened the Leicester and Swannington Railway
. The Nottinghamshire miners, therefore proposed extending the M & P.R. via the Erewash Valley, to Leicester, but found it difficult to raise finance, being still well-served by the canal network. Meanwhile there were a number of ambitious railways schemes in the air. In the early 1830s the M & P.R. had been approached by the proposed London Northern Railway, and in 1833 another abortive venture, the Midland Grand Junction Railway, proposed to take it over. The M & P.R. owners therefore decided to promote a connection between Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, to be called the Midland Counties Railway.
and Yorkshire
financiers. They, however, were deeply committed to the North Midland Railway
and refused to finance the connection to the M & P.R., particularly an associated proposal to extend to Chesterfield
. Accordingly, the Midland Counties Railway was built without the connection to the M & P.R.
The line was finally taken over by the newly-formed Midland Railway
in1847. However railway technology had moved on and the track needed to be relaid. In 1847 a line was built from Long Eaton
to Pye Bridge, near Ironville
. Another line was built in 1848 from Nottingham to Kirkby, with the Midland providing a horse-drawn coach from there to Mansfield, since the old rails were not strong enough for a steam locomotive. In 1849 the line was relaid from Mansfield and extended to Pye Bridge.
Several parts of the old lines had been winding with gentle gradients for the horses, which also had a braking effect in the downward direction with the wheel flanges pressing against the rails. Most of these curves were realigned and there were one or two changes in succeeding years. Most notably in 1871 a deviation was made which avoided Jessup's Kings Mill Viaduct and in 1892 a deviation to join the line from Nottingham south of Kirkby-in-Ashfield
involving a gradient of 1 in 45.
in 2001.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, constructed in 1819 to transport coal between Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
and the head of the Pinxton
Pinxton
Pinxton is a village on the eastern boundary of Derbyshire in the Bolsover district, England.In Anglo-Saxon times it was a small agricultural community, thought to have been recorded in the Domesday Book as "Esnotrewic." It is also thought that it was known as "Snodeswic," given by Wulfric Spott to...
branch of the Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal
The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....
and thence by the Erewash Valley
Erewash Valley
The Erewash Valley is the valley of the River Erewash on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as far as the River Trent. It runs along the boundary of the southern end of the Derbyshire hills and the more rolling Nottinghamshire country...
and the Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. Its importance lies in its influence on later railway building in the area, particularly the development of the Midland Counties Railway
Midland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
.
History
For many years, as in other parts of the country, NottinghamshireNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
quarry owners and miners had built wagonways to transport heavy goods. As larger projects were proposed, usually where the terrain made canal building impracticable, outside investment was required. Railway promoters became required to justify their plans and their likely viability before Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, as had been the case with canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
building. Thus the Mansfield and Pinxton became the first railway in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
to be incorporated by Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, in 1817.
Although the idea of the railway was mooted in 1811 there was considerable delay while a decision was taken as to what form it should take. Wagonways had developed into steel plateway
Plateway
A plateway is an early kind of railway or tramway or wagonway, with a cast iron rail. They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later....
s, for which Benjamin Outram
Benjamin Outram
Benjamin Outram was an English civil engineer, surveyor and industrialist. He was a pioneer in the building of canals and tramways.-Personal life:...
of the Butterley Company had gained considerable expertise. His partner, William Jessop
William Jessop
William Jessop was an English civil engineer, best known for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.-Early life:...
, had however, pioneered the use of fish-bellied iron edge rails on the earlier Charnwood Forest Canal
Charnwood Forest Canal
The Charnwood Forest Canal, sometimes known as the "Forest Line of the Leicester Navigation", was opened between Thringstone and Nanpantan, with a further connection to Barrow Hill, near Worthington, in 1794...
. In the end, his son Josiah, as engineer, used the latter.
Opening
Lack of transport had for a century put the Leicestershire miners at a disadvantage, but in 1832, they opened the Leicester and Swannington Railway
Leicester and Swannington Railway
The Leicester and Swannington Railway was one of England's first railways, being opened on 17 July 1832 to bring coal from collieries in west Leicestershire to Leicester.-Overview:...
. The Nottinghamshire miners, therefore proposed extending the M & P.R. via the Erewash Valley, to Leicester, but found it difficult to raise finance, being still well-served by the canal network. Meanwhile there were a number of ambitious railways schemes in the air. In the early 1830s the M & P.R. had been approached by the proposed London Northern Railway, and in 1833 another abortive venture, the Midland Grand Junction Railway, proposed to take it over. The M & P.R. owners therefore decided to promote a connection between Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, to be called the Midland Counties Railway.
Take-over
Investment was still very slow, until finance was obtained from LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
financiers. They, however, were deeply committed to the North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
and refused to finance the connection to the M & P.R., particularly an associated proposal to extend to Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
. Accordingly, the Midland Counties Railway was built without the connection to the M & P.R.
The line was finally taken over by the newly-formed Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in1847. However railway technology had moved on and the track needed to be relaid. In 1847 a line was built from Long Eaton
Long Eaton
Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area...
to Pye Bridge, near Ironville
Ironville
Ironville in Derbyshire, England, was built about 1830 by the Butterley Company as a "model village" to house its workers. It is situated between Riddings and Codnor Park....
. Another line was built in 1848 from Nottingham to Kirkby, with the Midland providing a horse-drawn coach from there to Mansfield, since the old rails were not strong enough for a steam locomotive. In 1849 the line was relaid from Mansfield and extended to Pye Bridge.
Several parts of the old lines had been winding with gentle gradients for the horses, which also had a braking effect in the downward direction with the wheel flanges pressing against the rails. Most of these curves were realigned and there were one or two changes in succeeding years. Most notably in 1871 a deviation was made which avoided Jessup's Kings Mill Viaduct and in 1892 a deviation to join the line from Nottingham south of Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 25,265 . It is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area. The Head Offices of Ashfield District Council are located there....
involving a gradient of 1 in 45.
The railway today
Much of the line still exists, though with the contraction of the coal industry at the end of the twentieth century it sees little traffic. Mansfield station was closed in 1965 but remained standing and was restored as a Grade 2 listed building to serve the Robin Hood LineRobin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell are in Derbyshire.The towns and villages served by the route are listed below:*Nottingham*Bulwell*Hucknall...
in 2001.
External links
- "Picture the Past" Mansfield Railway Station
- "Picture the Past" Mansfield Station Front
- "Picture the Past" Platform and Waiting Rooms
- http://www.old-mansfield.org.uk/tales/pinxton.htm Extract from Mansfield and Pinxton Railway - J Vanags