Syston and Peterborough Railway
Encyclopedia
The Syston and Peterborough Railway was an early railway in England
opened between 1845 and 1848 to form a branch from the Midland Counties Railway
at Syston
just north of Leicester
to Peterborough
.
who was involved with the Midland Counties Railway
which, was in the process of merging into the new Midland Railway
.
The Midland at that time was the main line from London to the North East of England, via Derby, Leeds and York
. The Midland adopted the line ‑ along with the Nottingham to Lincoln Line ‑ as part of urgent moves to hinder the expansion of the Northern and Eastern Railway
northwards from London to York.
and Charles Liddell. The surveyor was J.G. Binns. The cost estimate was £7000,000, or £15,000 a mile.
Even before the Act was passed there were problems where the line approached the estate of the Earl of Harborough. The original plan was to follow the course of the Wreake
through Stapleford Park
. Not only did the Earl refuse to sell the land, he put up notices forbidding the surveyors entry to the Park. A group of surveyors, walking along the towpath of the Oakham Canal
, were confronted by Lord Harborough's men and ordered to return to where they had come from. Since it was a public right of way, the surveyors refused, whereupon they were arrested and put in a cart, presumably to be taken before a magistrate. They were stopped by a policeman who pointed out that the surveyors were in the right, so they were simply tipped out into the road.
In what became known as the "Battle of Saxby", the Midland Railway men returned with reinforcements, to meet a similarly enlarged force of estate workers. The railwaymen were chased away but returned two days later, early in the morning, to find Harborough's men waiting for them once more. The mayhem came to the attention of the authorities, who imprisoned some of the Midland men and fined some estate workers for damage to surveying equipment.
In spite of his Lordship's opposition, however, the Syston and Peterborough Railway Act was passed on 30 June 1845.
then swung to the east to Melton Mowbray
along the valley of the Wreake
then along the River Eye
. It was at this point, where the intention was to travel south towards Oakham
, that the line encountered Stapleford Park.
The law was now firmly on the Midland side, but Lord Harborough continued his opposition. Even though the Act included an amendment which would take them further away, there was another brawl which resulted in him driving his carriage full tilt into the railwaymen,
This amendment included a tunnel under the Cuckoo plantation, his Lordship's favourite part of the park. Unfortunately it collapsed during construction, and most of the spinney fell into it. The Earl was furious and a further Act of Parliament in 1847 arranged for yet another deviation.
From Oakham, the line skirted the Vale of Catmose
(part of which was later flooded to form Rutland Water
). It then turned eastwards along the River Chater
. At Luffenham
it was joined by the Rugby and Stamford Railway which the LNWR
was building at the same time and had been granted running rights into Stamford
.
From Stamford it then curved southwards to meet the Eastern Counties Railway
at Peterborough
. While most of the line opened in 1846, the problems at Stapleford Park delayed this section for another two years.
was becoming overcrowded. From London as far as Kettering the line was quadrupled, but northwards the Midland took the opportunity of diverting through Manton
to give both Oakham and Melton Mowbray a direct London service, proceeding thence to Nottingham by what became known as the "Melton Line".
The curve around Stapleford Park was a nuisance for the express trains and, in 1880 when the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
built a branch from Bourne
in Lincolnshire
to Saxby
, the opportunity was taken to reduce the curve with Saxby station being moved in the process. Lord Harborough had died in the meantime and the estate had been bought by Lord Gretton
of Burton upon Trent
, who was more sympathetic to the railway. The Midland had, after all, made his fortune by taking his beer all over the country and, indeed, his son was later to build the Stapleford Miniature Railway
within the park.
In 1882 the Midland built a branch line from Ashwell
to Cottesmore
to service iron ore extraction with an exchange sidings. This is now the site of the Rutland Railway Museum
. Of note also are the stations at Helpston
and Walton. When the GNR
built its line north from Peterborough to Grantham
in 1853, it ran next to the Midland line but, in return for the latter's transport of materials, agreed not to build competing stations.
Although most of the branches are gone, or at least no longer support regular passenger services, the Syston and Peterborough Railway is still in daily use as part of the Birmingham to Peterborough Line
The advent of Google Earth has meant that what is still known as "Lord Harborough's Curve", as well as the trackbed of the M&GNR branch, at Saxby can clearly be seen.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
opened between 1845 and 1848 to form a branch from 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...
at Syston
Syston railway station
Syston railway station is a railway station serving the town of Syston in Leicestershire, England. The station is located on the Midland Main Line between Leicester to Loughborough, 103¾ miles from London St Pancras....
just north of 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...
to Peterborough
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
.
Origins
Most new railways, particularly those of the Midland, were built for transporting coal, and so could show a quick return on investment. A line from Leicester to Peterborough had been floated as an independent scheme which might not have progressed, even though there had been a famine of coal in the area. At Stamford for instance it had risen to forty shillings a ton. However because of the railway politics of the time, it was supported by George HudsonGeorge Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
who was involved with 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...
which, was in the process of merging into the new 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....
.
The Midland at that time was the main line from London to the North East of England, via Derby, Leeds and York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
. The Midland adopted the line ‑ along with the Nottingham to Lincoln Line ‑ as part of urgent moves to hinder the expansion of the Northern and Eastern Railway
Northern and Eastern Railway
The Northern & Eastern Railway operated one of the two main lines which eventually became the Great Eastern Railway: the other being the Eastern Counties Railway....
northwards from London to York.
Preparation
The route was surveyed in 1844, and plans lodged with the various county offices in 30 November. The engineers for the line were George StephensonGeorge Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
and Charles Liddell. The surveyor was J.G. Binns. The cost estimate was £7000,000, or £15,000 a mile.
Even before the Act was passed there were problems where the line approached the estate of the Earl of Harborough. The original plan was to follow the course of the Wreake
River Wreake
The River Wreake is a river in Leicestershire, England. It is a tributary of the River Soar. The river between Stapleford Park and Melton Mowbray is known as the River Eye and becomes the Wreake below Melton Mowbray....
through Stapleford Park
Stapleford Park
Stapleford Park is a Grade I listed country house in Stapleford near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England, now used as a hotel. It was originally the seat of the Sherard family, later the Earls of Harborough and from 1894, of Baron Gretton....
. Not only did the Earl refuse to sell the land, he put up notices forbidding the surveyors entry to the Park. A group of surveyors, walking along the towpath of the Oakham Canal
Oakham Canal
The Oakham Canal ran from Oakham, Rutland to Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It opened in 1802, but it was never a financial success, and it suffered from the lack of an adequate water supply. It closed after 45 years, when it was bought by the Midland Railway to...
, were confronted by Lord Harborough's men and ordered to return to where they had come from. Since it was a public right of way, the surveyors refused, whereupon they were arrested and put in a cart, presumably to be taken before a magistrate. They were stopped by a policeman who pointed out that the surveyors were in the right, so they were simply tipped out into the road.
In what became known as the "Battle of Saxby", the Midland Railway men returned with reinforcements, to meet a similarly enlarged force of estate workers. The railwaymen were chased away but returned two days later, early in the morning, to find Harborough's men waiting for them once more. The mayhem came to the attention of the authorities, who imprisoned some of the Midland men and fined some estate workers for damage to surveying equipment.
In spite of his Lordship's opposition, however, the Syston and Peterborough Railway Act was passed on 30 June 1845.
Construction
From the junction at Syston, the line went first north-eastwards towards AsfordbyAsfordby railway station
Asfordby railway station was a station serving the villages of Asfordby and Kirby Bellars in Leicestershire. The station was situated at a level crossing on the road between the two villages. It opened in 1846 and was originally named Kirby, but had been renamed Asfordby by 1863...
then swung to the east to Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray railway station
Melton Mowbray railway station serves the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and operated by East Midlands Trains train operating company ....
along the valley of the Wreake
River Wreake
The River Wreake is a river in Leicestershire, England. It is a tributary of the River Soar. The river between Stapleford Park and Melton Mowbray is known as the River Eye and becomes the Wreake below Melton Mowbray....
then along the River Eye
River Eye
There are two rivers of this name in Great Britain:*River Eye, Gloucestershire, England*River Eye, Leicestershire, England-See also:*Eye Water, a river in the Scottish Borders*Eye Brook, a river in Rutland, England...
. It was at this point, where the intention was to travel south towards Oakham
Oakham railway station
Oakham railway station serves the town of Oakham in Rutland, England. The station is situated almost halfway between Leicester – to the west – and Peterborough – eastward on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough...
, that the line encountered Stapleford Park.
The law was now firmly on the Midland side, but Lord Harborough continued his opposition. Even though the Act included an amendment which would take them further away, there was another brawl which resulted in him driving his carriage full tilt into the railwaymen,
This amendment included a tunnel under the Cuckoo plantation, his Lordship's favourite part of the park. Unfortunately it collapsed during construction, and most of the spinney fell into it. The Earl was furious and a further Act of Parliament in 1847 arranged for yet another deviation.
From Oakham, the line skirted the Vale of Catmose
Vale of Catmose
The Vale of Catmose is an area of relatively low-lying land in western Rutland, England, much of which is flooded by Rutland Water.The Catmose College is a school located in Oakham. Catmose is the name of the offices of Rutland County Council. Catmose Vale was the name of a former hospital in...
(part of which was later flooded to form Rutland Water
Rutland Water
Rutland Water is Anglian Water's drinking water reservoir in the county of Rutland, England, just east of the county town Oakham. It was known as Empingham Reservoir during its construction and until its official opening in 1976. The centre of its dam is at British national grid reference...
). It then turned eastwards along the River Chater
River Chater
The River Chater is a river in the East Midlands of England. It is a tributary of the River Welland, and is about long.It rises near Whatborough Hill in Leicestershire, and then flows east, past the sites of Sauvey Castle, and Launde Abbey, before crossing the county boundary with Rutland...
. At Luffenham
Luffenham railway station
Luffenham railway station is a former station of the Syston and Peterborough Railway serving the villages of North and South Luffenham, Rutland. The station was situated adjacent to a level crossing on the North Luffenham to Duddington road...
it was joined by the Rugby and Stamford Railway which the LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
was building at the same time and had been granted running rights into Stamford
Stamford railway station
Stamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The station is west of Peterborough on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their...
.
From Stamford it then curved southwards to meet the Eastern Counties Railway
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
at Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
. While most of the line opened in 1846, the problems at Stapleford Park delayed this section for another two years.
Later history
By 1879 the Midland's main line through LeicesterLeicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
was becoming overcrowded. From London as far as Kettering the line was quadrupled, but northwards the Midland took the opportunity of diverting through Manton
Manton railway station
Manton railway station or Manton Junction is a former railway station serving the villages of Manton and Wing in the county of Rutland.Opened in 1848 by the Syston and Peterborough Railway, it was situated off the road connecting the two villages and was just over a mile from each, or just over...
to give both Oakham and Melton Mowbray a direct London service, proceeding thence to Nottingham by what became known as the "Melton Line".
The curve around Stapleford Park was a nuisance for the express trains and, in 1880 when the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
built a branch from Bourne
Bourne railway station
Bourne was a railway station serving the town of Bourne in Lincolnshire which opened in 1860 and closed to passengers in 1959.-History:The station was on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway main line between the Midlands and the Norfolk Coast. it was finally closed in 1959 when the M&GN...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
to Saxby
Saxby railway station
Saxby railway station was a station serving the villages of Saxby and Freeby, Leicestershire.-History:The Syston and Peterborough Railway was opened in stages; the third and last section of line, between and opened for goods traffic on 20 March 1848, and for passengers on 1 May 1848...
, the opportunity was taken to reduce the curve with Saxby station being moved in the process. Lord Harborough had died in the meantime and the estate had been bought by Lord Gretton
John Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton
John Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton PC CBE , was a British businessman and Conservative politician. Gretton won two gold medals in the 1900 Olympic Games.-Biography:...
of Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, who was more sympathetic to the railway. The Midland had, after all, made his fortune by taking his beer all over the country and, indeed, his son was later to build the Stapleford Miniature Railway
Stapleford Miniature Railway
Stapleford Miniature Railway is a historic steam locomotive-hauled gauge railway at Stapleford Park, Stapleford near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England....
within the park.
In 1882 the Midland built a branch line from Ashwell
Ashwell railway station
Ashwell railway station was a station in Ashwell, Rutland on the line between Melton Mowbray and Oakham. Just north of Ashwell was Ashwell Junction where the Cottesmore Ironstone Branch joined...
to Cottesmore
Cottesmore
Cottesmore may refer to:*Cottesmore, Rutland, England*Cottesmore, West Sussex, England*HMS Cottesmore, the name of three Royal Navy ships*RAF Cottesmore, Royal Air Force station...
to service iron ore extraction with an exchange sidings. This is now the site of the Rutland Railway Museum
Rutland Railway Museum
Rutland Railway Museum now trading as Rocks by Rail: The Living Ironstone Museum is a heritage railway on part of a former Midland Railway mineral branch line. It is situated NE of Oakham, in Rutland, England.-Overview:...
. Of note also are the stations at Helpston
Helpston railway station
Helpston railway station was a station in Helpston, Cambridgeshire on the Midland Railway's Syston and Peterborough Railway. It was closed in 1966. The Great Northern Railway main line runs adjacent to the Midland Railway at this point, but the Great Northern never had a station in Helpston...
and Walton. When the GNR
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
built its line north from Peterborough to Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
in 1853, it ran next to the Midland line but, in return for the latter's transport of materials, agreed not to build competing stations.
Although most of the branches are gone, or at least no longer support regular passenger services, the Syston and Peterborough Railway is still in daily use as part of the Birmingham to Peterborough Line
Birmingham to Peterborough Line
The Birmingham to Peterborough Line is a cross-country railway line in the United Kingdom, linking Birmingham to Peterborough, via Nuneaton and Leicester....
The advent of Google Earth has meant that what is still known as "Lord Harborough's Curve", as well as the trackbed of the M&GNR branch, at Saxby can clearly be seen.