Radford

[simonjay1983 0]

I have got an old ordnance survey map of Radford in 1901 which shows Radford Colliery. I was wondering whether anyone knows when this pit was sunk and when it closed? All I know is that it was owned by the Wollation Colliery Company (is this correct). The map also shows that there was a wharf on the Nottingham Canal called Babbington Wharf near to Wollaton Road just west of Radford station which was connected by a railway which headed due north, does anybody have any ideas of where this railway went? I know I'm asking a lot but this has aroused my curiosity somewhat

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Radford Colliery 1874-1961, was part of Wollaton Colliery, had one shaft and shared ventilation with Wollaton.

[Ashley 288]

closed in 1961? am pretty sure I went there with my old mate Stokesy who worked there to collect his wages one day? and we didn't leave school till 1962, in fact seem to recall he was working shifts which would I believe point to later still?

[Cliff Ton 10,483]

there was a wharf on the Nottingham Canal called Babbington Wharf near to Wollaton Road just west of Radford station which was connected by a railway which headed due north, does anybody have any ideas of where this railway went?

Hopefully you can see enough detail in this map to answer your questions.

When you mention a line going north from Radford I assume you are referring to the one on here marked as "Colliery Companies line"

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

closed in 1961? am pretty sure I went there with my old mate Stokesy who worked there to collect his wages one day? and we didn't leave school till 1962, in fact seem to recall he was working shifts which would I believe point to later still?

That's the official closing year, the year coaling was finished, he may have been working on recovery??

Clifton closed 1968, but men were still working there until the shafts were filled and capped into 1969.

Radford actually was started a year of so before that date, but was only being sunk. Dates listed are when coal production started to cease coaling operations.

[Ashley 288]

Yes that's the one Cliff Ton, I sent him an email re the route etc and what still can be seen of it as I'd previously posted it here somewhere but now can't find it!

[simonjay1983 0]

Thanks to everybody for the information. As a newbie to the site it's been really assuring to have clarification on this. I have done a bit more digging and using the old maps website www.old-maps.co.uk which has maps for the area for 1881 and 1901, I have discovered that the line ran serving Newcastle, Babbington and Broxtowe collieries. The 1881 map shows then that this continued as a tramway (presumably some sort of narrow gauge line with horse drawn wagons)to run near Strelley, Swingate and then a spur to Kimberley Colliery. By 1901 the line terminated at Broxtowe with the remainder shown as old tramway. I would assume that as Kimberley Colliery was an early closure that the remainder of the line from Broxtowe became superfluous and was abandoned. I may be jumping to the completely wrong conclusion but the maps seem to indicate that at the junction of the spur for Kimberley colliery another line continued to run to Babbington Colliery (near Ilkeston)and from here the line continued to join with the Erewash Valley main line near to Ilkeston Junction and Cossall Station. This could be right as there was a branch to Babbington Colliery (near Ilkeston) and that way the whole network connected with the main railway network. Just thought that I'd share this with anyone who may be interested.

[Ashley 288]

I think that pit railway pre dated The Midland Railway? It was built by Thomas North the owner of of those pits mentioned, the 2nd Babbington one mentioned at or near the village of that name between Awsworth and Ilkeston was probably the first built, as North's company was called after it. Know nothing of the connections with the Erewash Valley Line but possibly a later modification? Did that end in fact originally join the canal of the same name? Certainly at Basford I doubt they would have built the line all the way to the crown island if they could have connected up with the nearby Mansfield Line and the Trowell Loop? something they did in later years, the route of the 1st connection still in use today as the tram spur to Phoenix Park

[simonjay1983 0]

Ive found out that North opened the line from Radford Road bridge in 1844 so that was just ahead of the opening of the Nottingham to Kirkby (then Mansfield)line in 1848. The Trowell line was even later coming on the scene in 1875 which is probably why the Midland line crossed North's line on the level. The second line from Cinderhill which joined the Mansfield line at Basford Jcn was built by North but the Midland Railway bought it from the Babbington Coll Co in 1877. North's line beyond Broxtowe Colliery must have been abandoned after Kimberley Colliery closed in 1897 which would explain why the maps show it in 1881 but as dismantled in 1901