Rediscovering the Maldon Branch Lines
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
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A journey along what remains of the branch lines which centred upon the Essex town of Maldon
rediscoveringlostrailways@protonmail.com
CREDITS
The copyright of the black and white photographs belongs to the following:
- Witham, Author Unknown
- Wickham Bishops, Jim Wyatt
- Langford & Ulting, John Mann Collection
- Maldon East & Heybridge, www.itsaboutmaldon.co.uk/railway/
- Maldon West, Stuart Axe
- Baron's Lane Halt, Mr & Mrs W. V. Cottee
- Cold Norton, Fred Spalding
- Stow St. Mary Halt, Mr S Neaves
- Woodham Ferrers, Blue-Pelican-Railway (Flickr)
- OS Maps - Courtesy of Bing Maps
- Music - Frederic Chopin, Piano concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, 2. Larghetto. Claudio Arrau (piano) London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eliahu Inbal (Cond.) October 1970
Thank you so much for showing this. Just watching a few minutes of it and you wonder what the meaning of progress really is?
There must be a hundred or more stories like this to tell about the branch lines of this country?
It changes my mindset and I find it so relaxing and calming but also upsetting to think so much has disappeared and been replaced with virtually nothing worth making a video about.
Cheers.
It's a bittersweet thing to see these lines in their present state. On the one hand it is sad that these branch lines are gone, on the other there's something delightful about the way nature has reclaimed the routes and architecture. May I invite you to subscribe if you have not already done so? I've made many more films about lost railways which you may enjoy.
Beautiful video and very poignant for me as my Great Grandfather was station master at Cold Norton in the period 1905 to 1910 approximately. My Grandfather, Harold Chapman grew up in the station house seen in your video. I have a photo of him with the family standing outside. He attended Maldon Grammar School and used the train to travel there. Apparently the last return service was around 4.15 in the winter and their unkind form master would sometimes deliberately keep them in late, meaning that he and his brothers would have to walk home in the dark - a distance of around 5 miles. They would walk along the track, knowing that there would be no more trains that day, not to be recommended in this day and age.
Thank you for your memories about this line which are truly fascinating!
It amazes me that the trestle viaduct not only survives after all these years, but that it was actually strong enough to carry trains in the first place.
Me too. I think trains had to pretty much creep across it at about 10 or 20 mph!
In Australia we had wooden trestle bridges an the time on our railways and some still exist. And they can be quite high
It was restored hence the good condition. I've walked and flown over and along most essex disused railway routes in a light aircraft or even a glider.
John.the flying historian.
Still flying and gliding after 57 years.
Another superb production! It still amazes me how much of the infrastructure of these old railways still survives today. The music was lovely and really added to the whole atmosphere of this video. Thanks again.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm grateful that there are still just enough relics left for me to film! Thank you again
Thanks for another fine video. This is a lovely part of Essex. It is good to see that quite a lot of the alignment has been put to good use as footpaths. Also pleased that quite a few of the station buildings have survived as people's homes. The station at Maldon is a delight to the eye and a happy survivor.
My pleasure 🙏
Magnificent building at Maldon East. The Great Eastern certainly showed the way in station architecture
It really is a fine piece of architecture. I'm delighted that it has been so well cared for in recent times.
Superb video as fan of Maldon the Blackwater and sailing the loss of thus route seems crazy with amount of housing recently added i remember aporoaching Maldon via road in seventies ni houses on outskirts as now.
However perhaps the lack of railway has one plus side Maldon is still a superb riverside town with Pubs Barges a Regata a superb Prom Park and superb high street with proper shops as Maldon has not been forced to serve as another London Commuter Belt non descript town thank God..
Really glad you enjoyed the film. I didn't get to explore much of Maldon on my journey but you paint an appealing picture! Do share with and Maldonians and subscribe!
I live in Lonfon but we often visited Maldon as there was waterside and lovely park and sailing boatscand barges to see
and Maldon is one of last Barge Ports you can still see Thames Barges and take trip on one ......well worth a visit...
Off to Maldon tomorrow to Chandlers on the way to Marina at Bradwell so may drop in for coffee
Maldon now has a Macdonalds Costa and Cafe open all year in Promenade Park plus the much needed toilets.. after a coffee
Well worth a visit both as a winter breath of salty air and sun or a summer day visit they even have beach huts overlooking water park.. plus Boat Trips Barge Trips Museum and Pubs for lunch both on quayside and in town...
Growing up in the 50s and 60s, I well remember the days of steam and the railways before Beeching (if ever there was a 60s crime, that was it - what could we do now in terms of light railway transport, if those 'uncommercial' lines had been allowed to survive, or at least the rights of way maintained?). I lived in Surrey (the Atlantic Coast Express, pulled by Bullied pacifics, both streamlined and rebuilt, thundered through our local station!), and only moved to Essex when steam was gone and Beeching had done his Devil's work, so I knew hardly anything about this line before watching this. So thank you very much for this video - very enjoyable and informative. I wonder what the chances are of a future generation learning from Beeching's inability to look forward and see things from more than just a commerical viewpoint? I fear we will discover that 'we' have learnt nothing.
Thank you for your kind words about my film and your evocative memories of the railway's. Has anything been learned? It's so hard to say, but the virtues of rail transport, both economically and socially, hopefully speak for themselves.
Thank you for this lovely video,the music was very apt for this as it hints at the sadness that a piece of history that was once proud and served such a great purpose is gradually disappearing albeit a few exceptions..
Very kind of you to say so, thank you. It is a lovely piece of music for sure!
I remember the level crossing on the old A12 at Witham that the trains used before it was closed. Always disappointed never saw a train crossing the road. Maldon station was a stunning building. This was around 1962.
Thank you for your memories of this line
Brilliant, so nostalgic and a reminder of a more hospitable age, at least in ones mind. I often walk the Blackwater trail with my dog, and imagine how it once was, finding a bit of evidence here and there. You chose just the right music, making it overall a real joy to watch the video.
Many thanks indeed, glad you enjoyed the film. Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series!
Thanks for another lovely video, and as always the music compliments it perfectly.
My pleasure. Thank you for your comment. Many more films to come!
Another gentle armchair journey - thank you. The trestle viaduct was a great find - surprising that it has survived the ravages of nature and time! Always enjoy your videos, with such appropriate music. Please keep them coming.
I certainly will. Many more to come, I'm glad you enjoy them!
Yet another wonderful film capped off by the fabulous wooden trestle bridge across the River Blackwater. So many stations and their buildings are intact. Fantastic!
I knew it was there but it was a real delight to see it in the flesh, as such. Really glad you're enjoying the films!
many thanks for doing this wonderful tribute to my local railway,
It was my pleasure to make, I'm very glad you enjoyed the film, thank you.
I'm having a lovely time playing catch-up on your older videos; many thanks and keep up the excellent work
Glad you like them! Yes, my older videos are notable by the absence of narration - I had to find my voice!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways I can appreciate that but the music choices are very well chosen
I used to live backing on to Witham station as a kid.
Back in 1984 I went over to the redundant buildings that were at the start of the branch line to maldon and had a look around.
I found some old paperwork dating from 1958, they were sort of receipts for rolling stock.
I still have them now in my shed somewhere 🙂
We then moved close to the old Sunday market site on maldon road, it was then we discovered the rest of the line and used to walk across them wooden bridges, from memory there were two.
Just close to blue mills and the golf club the farmer barackaded a section of the former line and stopped you enjoying the walk to maldon😟
Mind you I have not been there for donkey’s years.
Many thanks for sharing your wonderful video as it brought back lots of happy memories 🙂 I’m now subscribed 🙂👍
Thank you for your kind words about my film, your subscription and your fascinating memories of the line which bring it back to life.
In the summer I'm going to try and walk it again.
I'm not sure how far I will get but I'm going to give it a go.
Thank you guys for inspiring me.
Hi Pete I will be happy to inform you how I get on m8y.
Regards MrV 😉
I have not been able to do the walk as yet mainly because of the corona virus and the hell it unleashed on us all 🙄🤐
Hopefully i will get a chance this year to enjoy a nice walk along the old Maldon line 😊🤘🏻
Essex meets Chopin - and the result is superb as usual.
Thank you! It may not be the most obvious paring but it seems to work well!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways It works extremely well. I particularly enjoyed the appassionato section coinciding with our arrival at Langford and Ulting.
My I suggest another closed line in the same area? This is the one from Braintree to Bishop's Stortford. I used to live in the village of Rayne, the first stop going west. Rayne Station is still standing and is used as an information point for the "linier park" that runs along the old track-bed. There have been suggestions of reopening this line as a handy link from such places as Colchester and Chelmsford to Stansed Airport.
I know the one and I'm always grateful for recommendations. It is how many of these projects get done! Thanks for your comment
Absolutely wonderful rendition of Chopin concerto; best I ever heard.
It's a stunning rendition is it not? Glad you enjoyed it.
It would be so good if we could have the railway back solving considerable traffic congestion around Maldon
I don't know the town well, but when I did visit, it was certainly busy. A railway would be splendid!
The lines are gone for good: with modern-day overpricing and high land-values, reinstating just one mile of trackbed could cost millions (a la HS2).
Childhood memories of walking that line to and from Langford, where my grandparents lived in a house by the line until the death of my grandfather. He did work on the railway in some capacity but died when I was still quite young, about 5 or 6 years old. My grandmother then moved to a bungalow in Wickham Bishops. I, myself, was born in Maldon in 1961 and lived in Heybridge until 1972.
Thank you for your memories of this line. They illustrate it in a way no film or book can hope to do.
Excellent production and great choice of music. We need the lines back today more perhaps than ever but somehow I can't imagine them having the same charm.
Thank you I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I think you have it exact - such lines could be reinstated but they'd be such corporate, minimalist and charmless places that it makes one think twice!
In my younger I days lived on Honeypot lane, years after the railway had gone. The bridge there always fascinated me and I know most of the line through to Witham. I always thought the line was from Wickford to Witham with the (still open) branch from (south) Woodham Ferrer's to Southminster?
Great videos, when I came across your channel I searched for this one and sure enough......
Thanks for posting 👍
My pleasure - glad it stirred some happy memories!
The bridge at 09.00 is currently closed to road traffic. I was going to do the south side myself and have some additional images of this length if anyone is interested. The bed at Church Lane is used by the golf club buggies as a short cut and some of the cutting south of Cold Norton has been aquired as a new driveway to a property, for example.
The Railway bridges north of Maldon West now carry the local Maldon by-pass.
There are images in 'South Woodham Ferrers - A Pictorial History' that are related.
Thanks for that information. It is a fine railway to explore!
I was raised in Maldon; leaving for good when I was 18yrs old. I honestly never knew there were trains and a station.
Glad to be of service! I'm sure you're not alone in that regard, there must be many people across the country who don't know their home town was once served by the railway.
The bridge over the Blackwater in Maldon that carries the A414 is, I believe the original rail bridge. I remember it before they restored it, you couldn’t walk across it as the middle section was missing. Also I remember there still being rails on the section at Langdon when we used to see my gran in Heybridge back in the early 70s.
Thanks for your comment. People's memories of these lines can bring them to life in a way my films cannot!
Fabulous as usual
Very kind of you to say so, thank you
Another brilliant and very interesting video! Happy New Year!
Thank you! One of the last videos I made without narration. A good day's exploring!
Thoroughly enjoy your Videos on closed Railway Lines. Please DO Continue as they are very interesting and IMO prove that the Lines closing was a short-sighted saving financially which we are regretting nowadays
You have my word that I will. Many more films to come!
Jimmy Sadd are you able to predict the future? So please tell me the lottery numbers for Christmas? No. Well don't expect anyone else to know what the future holds. You seem to have forgotten that these lines that closed were abandoned by large parts of the populations they served, who took to the roads by bus and then by car; leaving the poor bloody tax payer to foot the bill. At the same time many businesses switched to road haulage to send their products to their customers, leaving the railways with expensive facilities that were not being fully used; againly the tax payer paid. By the mid-1960s the chickens were coming home to roost after almost a decade of economic mismanagement by the Conservatives which lead in 1967 to the Pound being devalued by 14% against the US$.
RBR had to do something and trimmed the branches to save the trunk. This meant that lines and stations that would be useful today, some 50 years later, were closed. But how do you work out which lines that are struggling to cover a sufficient portion of their costs that if we allow to remain open will be a benefit in 30 or 40 years time? There are moves to reinstate some of these lines and hopefully they will be a benefit. But some of them will prove to be a drain on the public purse, just as they were in the 1950s and 1960s.
@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819 . It is a Known fact that on purpose the Branch L ines were timetabled to miss the mainline connections and vice versa so as a case could be found to close the branch lines (i.e. Closure by Stealth) .
What I'm saying is that IF these so-called unprofitable lines were not sold but the land was protected then we may not have lost what we need today. Remember NOT Everybody can drive and the Replacement Buses were withdrawn on the majority of lines.
Don't for one minute think we the Tax Payers are NOT Paying the bills now
@@moleyofsouthend-on-sea8837 The privatised stratified railway set-up has been a massive drain on both the taxpayer and the farepayer, far more than was the "inefficient" one-piece 'British Rail'.
hiya dear friend , just spotted this one , with a touch of chopin s finest too , as ever thank you and god bless from lancashire
Yes, this was one of my last films with a musical accompaniment as opposed to narration!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways either way , both superb , thank you
Its 6000miles home thank you so much for happy memories
My pleasure - glad to bring you a snapshot of this green and pleasant land!
Once again a well produced and interesting video with suitable accompanying music. Great to see old photos which show how immaculate and tidy the stations, however small, and line side were kept. Certainly not the case today.
Thank you - yes, agreed, that sense of pride is absolutely vivid!
That spectacular trestle viaduct!
It's worth a close look...
I live near Maldon and such a shame there are no railways today. The town is crying out for a railway line with so many new developments in the area but unfortunately I don’t think we’ll ever see any of Essex’s old railway lines ever returning.
It is a shame that this lovely town is bereft of a railway!
A very nice video indeed. Really enjoyed it, superbly filmed. That trestle viaduct is quite something. And the surviving Maldon East & Heybridge station building is impressive.
Thanks as always Andrew. Some truly impressive remains on this occasion!
The trestle spanning the River Blackwater was a wonderful find. It appears some sort of preservation effort is underway given the structure's scheduled monument order(?), but perhaps as helpful would be the ivy's removal en toto. Doing so would permit more sunlight to "bake" the wood, dry same out (as much as possible given Blackwater's presence), and help suppress the moss seen growing on the timbers.
Wickham Bishops was a bit unique in design. I take it that is a goods siding between station and raised platform--creating, in a way, a center island? It's clear from the railing that access was limited to trains on the mainline. Can't say I've seen this layout at a rural stop before now. Most interesting.
Thank you for your thoughts - I hadn't considered that RE: Wickham Bishops. As for the trestle bridge, it is truly lovely, but I fear it will just be left to rot. Still a lovely find and an interesting branch line!
Only just found this. Great video of some closed lines local to me. I've got some pictures of the line from Maldon East up to West Station before it was turned into the bypass, including the West Station goods shed (which still survives on the industrial estate), and the original viaduct over the River Chelmer with it's middle blown out.
So pleased you enjoyed the film and that you've found my channel. Those sound like very interesting photographs...
@@RediscoveringLostRailways, unlike a lot of my photos, I actually know where they are as they're in an album. They aren't brilliant but considering they were taken about 35 years ago they aren't bad either. There's a few shots at Barons Lane too, and Cold Norton (just the overbridge looking at all the back gardens where the station used to be). I've actually cycled along the bit between St Stephen's bridge and where the cutting disappears into the field near Woodham, but somehow missed the halt at Stow Maries (as the village is known).
Great. Love the old Stow St. Mary picture :)
Yes, it's lovely!
Excellent video, I used to drive trains on the Southminster Branch and the old boy's used to talk of how the line split just after SWF, I always wondered about the line and its geography.
Really glad that you enjoyed the film and that it helped make sense of how the route connects with the Southminster branch!
Brilliant...always look forward to seeing these.
Thank you ever so much! Many more to come!
Can’t stop watching))
Good! Do subscribe if you've not already done so!
I really enjoyd this. Way back in the mid 60`s I often walked the track from Wickam Hall Farm to have a swim at the Maldon Promenade.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the film - and what wonderful memories!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Yes, wonderfull memories. I live in Germany now and spent, due to bad weather, yesterdays national holiday watching your well done videos. As at the moment I am still doing.
Rediscovering Lost Railways Thank you. But I have to say, in the deepest of my 55 year old memory I can recall a viaduct in Maldon. May be it`s only on my mind, seeing it somewhere else, and assotiating it to Maldon.
@@ianwilson6417 Yes you are right as I believe Eddie kid jumped it on his motorbike back in the 70's.
Hi Alan Christina here..what a beautiful video and as always the music matches the landscape.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the film and I was lucky to find such a lovely piece of music to accompany it!
Excellent stuff yet again. Thank you.
Very kind of you to say so, thank you
Another great video thanks, please keep them coming!
You have my word that I will. Next one will be out in December!
Cracking video and what a find that wooden trestle bridge !
Thank you very much indeed! I knew the bridge was there but I'd didn't know how wonderful it was in reality! Do subscribe and watch my other films in the series if you've not already done so.
Enjoyed the video and great music on subject of closure Maldon is one of the nicest towns in essex and wins awards for best place to live perhaps having commuter railway stopped Maldon becoming another commuter town like so many others it has kept it proper High Street Thames Barges Superb Promenade Park and new waterpark I have sailed into Maldon and it great tidal port provided you dont miss the buoys and end up on the (thick) maldon mud. It has retained visit to seaside feel even though inland and is a very popular place to retire to nice pubs on quayside a Chandler's and proper shops in high street make it one to visit however you travel.. i prefer sail or motorcycle .
Huge amount of development around the causeway means town is not left behind..
Yes it's one of those unusual situations where a railway may risk denigrating the character of the town!
Wonderful video of a line that I'd read about a while ago. Was thinking that maybe you should try and trace the line to Framlingham and also the Mid Suffolk Light Railway?
I've been looking at this, so your recommendation is timely! Thank you for your kind words about my film.
Nice
Thank you very much
I travelled this line age 11 in 1955 and was fascinated by the trestle bridges. I found the surviving bridge around 2000 and wondered why it was still there, now I know. Around then access was easy through a rough field but not more recently. The bridge was not infested with ivy then and is deteriorating.
I think the bridge is in sound order, but I wouldn't want to put it to the test! Thank you for sharing your memories of this line.
This bridge may be unique. Does a scheduled monument order mean it can be left to fall down in its own time? It did look serviceable twenty years ago and cared for.
@@anthonyneale5321 I'm afraid I just don't know...
Oh well, anyone who can should try to get a look at it. A few miles away there is plenty of the Tollesbury branch to be seen even if it largely follows the ground (one overbridge in one unavoidable cutting). Any clues in Tiptree have long gone but Tollesbury station is easily recognizable. I got chased off the extension to the pier by a bird warden but a panoramic view is available!@@RediscoveringLostRailways
A nice relaxing, atmospheric and informative video. 👍
Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the film. Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series!
Lovely!! Thank you.
My pleasure, thank you!
Thank you for a fascinating glimpse of how things were. Names of photo authors are familiar to me and I have traveled those lost rails as a child, though memories are sadly few.
I'm glad you found the film evocative and those photos are so lovely it would be a shame to not include them. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Great look at what's left of the line its not far from me i may go in search of some of the remnants.
I'd encourage you to do say, there some delightful sections to explore. Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series.
Very Nice work !
Thank you so much!
I've often wondered how much of the one was walkable as this is not far from me.
Unlike a lot of disused lines there's quite a lot that one can walk, so I hope you find the opportunity
I often cycled from Braintree to Maldon to see a friend and always use this old line as a way of avoiding the Hills round that area. So safe and peacefull as opposed to the road and traffic. Tony in Braintree
Thanks for the video. That bridge over Colchester Rd at 2:05 looks like it's been infilled since I was there in the early 2000s to map the Blackwater Rail Trail? Thankfully leaving a passageway and not totally blocked in, and done in sympathetic brickwork.
Yes. Good they kept it in situ and repurposed rather than demolished it!
Odd that this route would be very busy both ways with all the new housing both between Chelmsford Maldon and all around South Woodham.
I looked at moving to Cold Norton and worked in London but normally commuted by motorcycle but not having any decent alternative public transport for bad weather stop me.
Thankyou once again \^_^/ (7:42 & 9:57 ...a little glimpse of the maker perhaps? :D )
My pleasure! Well spotted... but that's my brother who I've tried to have cameo in many of my films!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways "He ain't heavy......"
Thank you for your exquisite taste in musical accompaniment. Would it be possible, in future episodes, to a permanent, high-contrast, message area at the bottom for captions? I have a hard time tearing my eyes away from the main image to try to read thin white text against the busy background of the bottom of the picture.
Also, are any of these trails also open to equestrian use? Thank you.
Hi Richard. My most recent films have moved towards narration, which I hope solves part of the problem. Alas I'm unable to retrospectively fix my existing films. As for equestrian use - I don't think the Maldon Branch Lines would lend themselves to this, but it may be possible on other lost lines.
Its was an absolute crime takung these railways away, "future generations will curse us" was a comment made in a local newspaper when the decision was finally made to blow down Beechings axe. I have walked along the Witham to Maldon line and part of the way to Purleigh back in the 80's looking at the old abandoned structures, so sad, all the labour involved making these lines happen in the 1800s only to be scrapped by a total idiot.
Many here share your thoughts to be sure!
Thinking about 9:25 where you mention the green on Hamberts Road, why didn't they build houses there? Do they have to keep it available in case they want to reopen the line?
I suspect there may be other reasons for not building upon it - reopening this line is very unlikely indeed - so a bit of a mystery there!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways There's an industrial estate one side and housing the other, and in fact there is more undeveloped land to the south of Hamberts Road with again industrial estate on the same side as before and housing on the other. Somehow the train line therefore marked out a boundary between these two areas of land. Perhaps it wasn't developed because people don't want to live next door to a factory!
Ya should get a voice acter, would make these more enjoyable
Good advice, thank you!
Why don't you use the National Library of Scotland's collection of old msps?
I do for my research
Still seems so backward looking this area of Essex is now full of housing but little public Transport I have the althorne to burn ham when walking the river crouch ..
I don't know the area well, but the story is one repeated nationwide for sure!
Cant read writing when over map !!
Perhaps pause it, maybe that will help. My first time using new editing software so it was a bit of a test...
I've watched a lot of your videos but must say I was disappointed with this one you missed so much out. For example maldon west goods shed still stands as an industrial unit and wickham bishops station is visible from the over bridge. Also you failed to point out the new road bridge at weybridge where the big viaduct used to span the river or that there were triangular junctions at witham and maldon that allowed through working from woodham ferrers to witham.
OK thanks