Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway
Encyclopedia
The Middlesbrough & Guisborough Railway (M&G) was a railway line serving the towns of Middlesbrough
and Guisborough
as well as areas of the Eston Hills
in North Yorkshire
from 1853 through to 1964.
) competing for the mining business in the area. The scheme was promoted by the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR), which worked the line and absorbed it in 1858.
The line was opened in 1853 to an iron ore mine at Codhill, and passenger services started a year later, stopping in the villages of Ormesby
, Nunthorpe
and Pinchinthorpe
, before terminating at Guisborough. A private station also existed for the sole use of the Pease family at Hutton Gate
for the nearby Hutton Hall.
The Cleveland Railway's original Act was for a line east of Guisborough, but it also developed a rival line across private land branching from further along the S&DR than the M&G, and after permission from the government, its line extended to Guisborough, meaning the town was served by two railway lines.
Despite the line's close proximity to the Picton-Battersby Line
, it was not until 1865 that the Nunthorpe-Battersby Link
was built to connect the two lines.
and the old Cleveland line was abandoned south of Ormesby. NER then connected the line east of Guisborough to the M&G line before Guisborough, meaning trains had to reverse out of the terminal before continuing along the line to Loftus
. It remained this way until its closure in 1960.
A new station was built at Pinchinthorpe and in 1904, Hutton Gate was purchased for public use. The remaining stretch of the Cleveland line was connected to the Middlesbrough-Redcar line and was run as a goods service until 1966.
Pinchinthorpe station closed in 1951, with Hutton Gate and Guisborough closing when the branch line service from Middlesbrough ended in 1964.
to Guisborough closed in 1964 leaving the section from Middlesbrough open to Battersby. This still remains in use as part of the Esk Valley Line
, represented by the non-faded part of the diagram.
Ormesby
station was renamed to Marton
to take advantage of the James Cook
connection, and Gypsy Lane
was opened.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
and Guisborough
Guisborough
Guisborough is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England....
as well as areas of the Eston Hills
Eston Nab
Eston Nab is a local landmark to those who live along the River Tees, in north-east England.A nab is a rocky promontory, or outcrop, and Eston Nab, marking the highest point – at - on the escarpment which forms Eston Hills, appears as a clear sandstone cliff on the northernmost edge of Eston Moor...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
from 1853 through to 1964.
The Beginning
The M&G was backed by the Joseph Pease and his family, one of the major local iron ore mine owners. It was one of two railway schemes (along with the Cleveland RailwayCleveland Railway (England)
The Cleveland Railway was a railway line in north-east England running from Normanby near Middlesbrough, via Guisborough through the Eston Hills, to Loftus in East Cleveland. It carried minerals from numerous iron ore mines along its route to the River Tees for shipment to Tyneside and elsewhere...
) competing for the mining business in the area. The scheme was promoted by the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR), which worked the line and absorbed it in 1858.
The line was opened in 1853 to an iron ore mine at Codhill, and passenger services started a year later, stopping in the villages of Ormesby
Ormesby
Ormesby is a former village, and now suburb, spanning the Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland unitary authorities in north east England, within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It forms part of the Middlesbrough urban agglomeration...
, Nunthorpe
Nunthorpe
Nunthorpe is a small outer suburb of the town of Middlesbrough, England. Nunthorpe is served by Nunthorpe and Gypsy Lane railway stations, both of which are on the Esk Valley Line from Middlesbrough to Whitby...
and Pinchinthorpe
Pinchinthorpe
Pinchinthorpe is a small hamlet near Guisborough in Redcar and Cleveland, England. It is a linear settlement spread along the A173. The postcode is TS14 8HE.Until 1951 Pinchinthorpe had a working railway station, on the line from Middlesbrough to Guisborough...
, before terminating at Guisborough. A private station also existed for the sole use of the Pease family at Hutton Gate
Hutton Gate railway station
Hutton Gate railway station was a railway station on the Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway. It was opened on 25 February 1854 and closed along with the entire Nunthorpe-Guisborough branch on 2 March 1964...
for the nearby Hutton Hall.
The Cleveland Railway's original Act was for a line east of Guisborough, but it also developed a rival line across private land branching from further along the S&DR than the M&G, and after permission from the government, its line extended to Guisborough, meaning the town was served by two railway lines.
Despite the line's close proximity to the Picton-Battersby Line
Picton-Battersby Line
The Picton-Battersby Line was a section of line running from Picton, North Yorkshire on what is now the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line, to Battersby on what is now the Esk Valley Line.- Construction :...
, it was not until 1865 that the Nunthorpe-Battersby Link
Nunthorpe-Battersby Link
The Nunthorpe-Battersby Link was a short line connecting the Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway and the now disused Picton-Battersby Line.The line, constructed around 1865, ran from Nunthorpe Junction to Battersby. It remains in use today as part of the Esk Valley Line....
was built to connect the two lines.
As Part of NER
During 1863-5 both M&G and the Cleveland Railway were absorbed by NERNorth Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
and the old Cleveland line was abandoned south of Ormesby. NER then connected the line east of Guisborough to the M&G line before Guisborough, meaning trains had to reverse out of the terminal before continuing along the line to Loftus
Loftus, North Yorkshire
Loftus is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in a region between Saltburn-by-the-Sea and the North York Moors...
. It remained this way until its closure in 1960.
A new station was built at Pinchinthorpe and in 1904, Hutton Gate was purchased for public use. The remaining stretch of the Cleveland line was connected to the Middlesbrough-Redcar line and was run as a goods service until 1966.
Pinchinthorpe station closed in 1951, with Hutton Gate and Guisborough closing when the branch line service from Middlesbrough ended in 1964.
The Present Day
The line from Nunthorpe JunctionNunthorpe railway station
Nunthorpe railway station serves the town of Nunthorpe within the borough of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Esk Valley Line and is operated by Northern Rail who provide all of the station's passenger services. One of the two passing loops...
to Guisborough closed in 1964 leaving the section from Middlesbrough open to Battersby. This still remains in use as part of the Esk Valley Line
Esk Valley Line
The Esk Valley Line is the railway line from Middlesbrough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half....
, represented by the non-faded part of the diagram.
Ormesby
Ormesby
Ormesby is a former village, and now suburb, spanning the Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland unitary authorities in north east England, within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It forms part of the Middlesbrough urban agglomeration...
station was renamed to Marton
Marton railway station
Marton railway station serves the settlement of Marton, a suburb of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on Ladgate Lane, at the end of The Grove, near Ormesby Hall...
to take advantage of the James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
connection, and Gypsy Lane
Gypsy Lane railway station
Gypsy Lane railway station serves the suburbs of Nunthorpe and Marton-in-Cleveland within the borough of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England...
was opened.