Top end explore Steve!! FYI - the bridge at 12:42 appears on the front cover of the book 'Great Central in the Midlands' by Transport Treasury Publishing. Definitely worth checking out as it's a great book!
What a brilliant noseh Steve! I love the GCR, should have never been closed. The last mainline to be built from London to the north of England. I spent many happy hours on it with my pals in the 1960’s until it closed. You could go to the Central Station in Leicester on a platform ticket, then get on a steam hauled train down to Rugby, or up to Nottingham for nowt! No corridors on the carriages, so the guards couldn’t catch you! 😂
Thank you Max! You lot had more fun in those days than kids do now me lad! I reckon I was born in the wrong decade, then again I wouldn’t have had this abandoned playground to lark about in! Thanks for watching buddy
Lattice 👍There’s a nice viaduct on the walkway going into Leicester from Aylestone .Sadly a lot of these structures are starting to look worse for wear .
@@LeiceExplore No it’s not the Whetstone viaduct ,l remember that .lt‘a further towards Leicester,over the canal/River Soar and on a bit towards the city .You can’t miss it ,it overlooks Aylestone Meadows.Happy exploring👍
Love watching these videos Steve but it also makes me very sad for all that great engineering for something that only lasted for such a short period of time
Thanks mate! I know what you mean, whilst out making these videos, I think this a lot, it’s hard not to, knowing all those men were down there, slogging long hours, now forgotten. Thanks for watching
I’m north Leicestershire and was brought up birstall / Beaumont leys / abbey lane and have collected 100s of pics over my 36 years on the planet…thanks for putting out great vids
The central access from over or underbridge to a GC station was a major feature of this railway which also featured island platforms.This can be clearly seen at the old GC station in the Hillmorten Rd ,Rugby which has central access from the road & long platforms still intact.More recently the local Rotary Club have laid some track sections at the station.Further along is the uttery majestic Ashlawn Rd bridge which I still gaze at in wonder even now after having moved to rugby in 2007.We moved shortly after the equally majestic "Birdcage" bridge was dismantled on Christmas Day 2006! Of course in Rugby one is spoilt for choice with regard to abandoned railways as there were 5 or 6 lines running through or from here at one time;I am still exploring!
Nice one Steve, there's always some great stuff to find on the GCR. Lutterworth Station is a gem, the Station House is still there, on the left as you approach from the village side. I'm pleased that you found the Platelayers Hut as it is tucked away, I got some really good photos of it despite the fact it was snowing when I went.
@@LeiceExplore There are some fantastic sights to see along this line, both north and south. Around, and through, Leicester itself you won't believe what's left of the railway, then, of course, you have the Rugby area, it just goes on and on. Then the further south you go there's even more, plenty of videos coming I suspect.
Most station masters houses remain as they held commanding positions by the station & very well built. You can recognise them easily as all same design.Quorn SM house has recently gone on the market for around 750k . Loughborough SM House differed as it was adapted from an existing farmhouse purchased when the railway was built, but now sadly replaced with modern flats.
Great video Steve. I used to live near to the GCR near Rothley. It's amazing not to say a shame just how much of our railway heritage has been lost since Beeching's cuts. One thing I would like to know is what were the plate layer's huts used for, you often point them out? Anyway keep up the good work!
Thank you buddy! These were little huts sporadically spread across the network for chaps who maintained the rails. The term plate layer comes from the tramway times when rail was an L shaped plate
The huts also termed permanent way, or p.way huts. They provided shelter, mess facilities & tool storage for the section maintenance gang. Original gcr huts were simply built from sleepers with brick floor & brick chimney with a basic coal range, very few survive which is a shame. A deluxe design version existed in sidings yards which was double ended with a simple tool store accessed at the opposite end. The concrete versions were a later LNER design adopted by BR & were equipped with a pot belly stove, & metal Crittal windows.
Thank you Richard. There is a footpath nearby, maybe there was steps up the other side of the embankment once? Or maybe OS missed it when they originally surveyed the site, they did some times make mistakes as I’ve noticed, thanks for watching
Shawel signalbox would've been built on a stilt like structure overhanging the embankment, similar to the original Rothley box who's foundation remains South of Rothley Station. All gcr London extension stations were built similarly against a road bridge, either above it or below. Stairs fed the island platform either up or down. They were built this way to minimise staffing (one set of Station buildings for two platforms) & to facilitate future quadrupling of the line, as was the bridges. East Leake was an example of an existing upstairs Station but is closed & bricked up, Whetstone was too but demolished. One upstairs Station was never completed, Swithland but the bricked up arch, the stairs with glazed white brick walls, extensive foundations all lie buried. It was decided to build the Station at Rothley instead (a downstairs example). Unsure of the reason but it may have had a bearing on the local land owner, Lord Lanesborough of Swithland Hall who also owned mineral rights to the granite quarries, hence the extensive sidings there. I imagine the prospective real estate values along Swithland Lane & the Ridings at Rothley were much higher too. You'll notice substantial 'Metroland' properties grew up alongside all gcr stations for those that commuted daily to Leicester/Nottingham or even London. Yes, it was the original HS1 line.
Cheers Pete! Funny ain’t it, I bet people moaned about the GCR being built at the time, just like HS2 now, and dafties like me go gawping at what’s left of it! They’ll do the same with HS2 in 100/200 years, well, what parts of it they do build anyway! PS…The culverts won’t be a grand as the GCR, nowhere near! They probably won’t last as long as
Cheers Brian! Well spotted! I’ve just watched that bit back, could’ve been a snake, I did see small fish in there, so maybe a bigger one was lurking. Thanks for watching.
Top end explore Steve!! FYI - the bridge at 12:42 appears on the front cover of the book 'Great Central in the Midlands' by Transport Treasury Publishing. Definitely worth checking out as it's a great book!
Love this, thanks Steve, these should be like Songs of praise every Sunday- making everyones vita that little bit better before miserable Monday
Thank you Lord Beers! That'd be summat wouldn't it? Songs of Culverts...You heard it here first! And P.S.......Not a word of 1840 in this one lol!
love these vids. My Dad lived in Wolvey so I know the area well and youve brought back happy memories. Thanks Steve me ol lad.😊
Cheers me ode beauteh! I’m very pleased you enjoyed it!
Home Turf. Love It 🙂
Cheers mate, thanks for watching.
Culvertness galore Steve, another superb nosey.
Thank you Andy buddy!
What a brilliant noseh Steve! I love the GCR, should have never been closed. The last mainline to be built from London to the north of England. I spent many happy hours on it with my pals in the 1960’s until it closed. You could go to the Central Station in Leicester on a platform ticket, then get on a steam hauled train down to Rugby, or up to Nottingham for nowt! No corridors on the carriages, so the guards couldn’t catch you! 😂
Thank you Max! You lot had more fun in those days than kids do now me lad! I reckon I was born in the wrong decade, then again I wouldn’t have had this abandoned playground to lark about in! Thanks for watching buddy
Lattice 👍There’s a nice viaduct on the walkway going into Leicester from Aylestone .Sadly a lot of these structures are starting to look worse for wear .
Thank you Tony. If it's the one near wherstone you mean, I went there nearly two years back buddy
@@LeiceExplore No it’s not the Whetstone viaduct ,l remember that .lt‘a further towards Leicester,over the canal/River Soar and on a bit towards the city .You can’t miss it ,it overlooks Aylestone Meadows.Happy exploring👍
Top video Steve, you've got me looking at the river swift now 😅 There's an old blue motorways sign on the M1 saying RiverSwift,😊😊😊
Cheers buddy! Yes mate, I’ve past that sign many times, and every time gawped at it!
Hi Steve. Great video as always! East Leake old station is the same bridge layout
Thank you very much. I’ll have to have a noseh at that thanks buddy
Nowt left of the station Steve, only the platform.
@@LeiceExplore Got myself up there one day Steve, well worth a noseh!!!!
Love watching these videos Steve but it also makes me very sad for all that great engineering for something that only lasted for such a short period of time
Thanks mate! I know what you mean, whilst out making these videos, I think this a lot, it’s hard not to, knowing all those men were down there, slogging long hours, now forgotten. Thanks for watching
I’m north Leicestershire and was brought up birstall / Beaumont leys / abbey lane and have collected 100s of pics over my 36 years on the planet…thanks for putting out great vids
Fantastic!
Thank you
The central access from over or underbridge to a GC station was a major feature of this railway which also featured island platforms.This can be clearly seen at the old GC station in the Hillmorten Rd ,Rugby which has central access from the road & long platforms still intact.More recently the local Rotary Club have laid some track sections at the station.Further along is the uttery majestic Ashlawn Rd bridge which I still gaze at in wonder even now after having moved to rugby in 2007.We moved shortly after the equally majestic "Birdcage" bridge was dismantled on Christmas Day 2006! Of course in Rugby one is spoilt for choice with regard to abandoned railways as there were 5 or 6 lines running through or from here at one time;I am still exploring!
Thanks Paul. It was an incredible railway, architecturally astounding it places, no expense spared.
Relatively common with the GCR. Woodford Halse further South on the line is similar. Entrance bricked up.
One at swithland as well for a station that didn’t happen
Nice one Steve, there's always some great stuff to find on the GCR. Lutterworth Station is a gem, the Station House is still there, on the left as you approach from the village side. I'm pleased that you found the Platelayers Hut as it is tucked away, I got some really good photos of it despite the fact it was snowing when I went.
Cheers buddy, yes mate, I parked near the house. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and shall be exploring this railway much further, north and south
@@LeiceExplore There are some fantastic sights to see along this line, both north and south. Around, and through, Leicester itself you won't believe what's left of the railway, then, of course, you have the Rugby area, it just goes on and on. Then the further south you go there's even more, plenty of videos coming I suspect.
@@seamusmcevoy2011 absolutely mate, there will be a good number of vids in the future on the GCR
Most station masters houses remain as they held commanding positions by the station & very well built. You can recognise them easily as all same design.Quorn SM house has recently gone on the market for around 750k .
Loughborough SM House differed as it was adapted from an existing farmhouse purchased when the railway was built, but now sadly replaced with modern flats.
Great video Steve. I used to live near to the GCR near Rothley. It's amazing not to say a shame just how much of our railway heritage has been lost since Beeching's cuts. One thing I would like to know is what were the plate layer's huts used for, you often point them out? Anyway keep up the good work!
Thank you buddy! These were little huts sporadically spread across the network for chaps who maintained the rails. The term plate layer comes from the tramway times when rail was an L shaped plate
The huts also termed permanent way, or p.way huts. They provided shelter, mess facilities & tool storage for the section maintenance gang.
Original gcr huts were simply built from sleepers with brick floor & brick chimney with a basic coal range, very few survive which is a shame. A deluxe design version existed in sidings yards which was double ended with a simple tool store accessed at the opposite end.
The concrete versions were a later LNER design adopted by BR & were equipped with a pot belly stove, & metal Crittal windows.
Good video. Signal box, how would signalman get there, didn't seem any road or track visible in your film.
Thank you Richard. There is a footpath nearby, maybe there was steps up the other side of the embankment once? Or maybe OS missed it when they originally surveyed the site, they did some times make mistakes as I’ve noticed, thanks for watching
Shawel signalbox would've been built on a stilt like structure overhanging the embankment, similar to the original Rothley box who's foundation remains South of Rothley Station.
All gcr London extension stations were built similarly against a road
bridge, either above it or below. Stairs fed the island platform either up or down. They were built this way to minimise staffing (one set of Station buildings for two platforms) & to facilitate future quadrupling of the line, as was the bridges.
East Leake was an example of an existing upstairs Station but is closed & bricked up, Whetstone was too but demolished.
One upstairs Station was never completed, Swithland but the bricked up arch, the stairs with glazed white brick walls, extensive foundations all lie buried. It was decided to build the Station at Rothley instead (a downstairs example). Unsure of the reason but it may have had a bearing on the local land owner, Lord Lanesborough of Swithland Hall who also owned mineral rights to the granite quarries, hence the extensive sidings there.
I imagine the prospective real estate values along Swithland Lane & the Ridings at Rothley were much higher too. You'll notice substantial 'Metroland' properties grew up alongside all gcr stations for those that commuted daily to Leicester/Nottingham or even London. Yes, it was the original HS1 line.
Cheers Pete! Funny ain’t it, I bet people moaned about the GCR being built at the time, just like HS2 now, and dafties like me go gawping at what’s left of it! They’ll do the same with HS2 in 100/200 years, well, what parts of it they do build anyway! PS…The culverts won’t be a grand as the GCR, nowhere near! They probably won’t last as long as
hi mate shawell is pronounced the second way
Cheers buddy, it just didn’t sound right when I said it lol, but I’d read online that it rhymes with towel lol
19min 16 sec in sure i seen somthing long in the water right infront of you .
Cheers Brian! Well spotted! I’ve just watched that bit back, could’ve been a snake, I did see small fish in there, so maybe a bigger one was lurking. Thanks for watching.