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I came across this picture a few days ago, and it stumped me until I worked where it was taken from.

wilkinson.jpg

And you can clearly see the mineral line which shows up on maps of the era

There don't seem to be any photos of Newcastle Colliery because that subject was mentioned in THIS thread from a couple of years ago, so maybe this is as close as anyone will get to it

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Newcastle Colliery was sunk in 1853 & closed in 1928 which fits in with the date of the picture. The landsale continued in use till about 1966 served by the mineral line from Babbington Colliery. The mineral line continued beyond Newcastle turning south till it reached the canal where Babbington wharf was built. I believe Western Boulevard was built on the site of this railway.

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Looking at the picture again I cannot make out what is what. I presume that Nuthall Road is in the foreground. I can make out the bridge mentioned but what is going across from left to right, is it Western Boulevard under construction? The railway track in the centre is a puzzle it appears to go north east, the mineral railway should be the other side of the pit shafts and going south to the canal wharf.

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Hence our suggestion, in another thread, that the Wilkinson St widening was made to make it a major feed to the projected new ring road...

Didn't quite work out that way.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Looking at it again, I agree that the line in the photo doesn't match the mineral line I referred to. This one doesn't appear on any of the old maps. Was it something to do with the building of the ring road, which was obviously happening at the time?

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I had the same idea. Talking about Western Boulevard I remember houses being damaged when a coal face went under them, presumably Radford or Wollaton collieries.

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Newlyn Drive especially so...

Many properties being supported by large timber stanchions.

My Uncle owned a house, which cost him a fortune...well before the formal compo' days!

Cheers

Robt P.

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if you look at that "mineral line" compared to chap standing by it it looks to be narrow gauge (unless chap is four feet eight and a half inches across the shoulders) that plus not being shown on old maps leads me to think maybe it was as suggested a temp thing to do with building of ring road? I know the old thomas north railway was used in the construction of the road, maybe they used pit waste as hardcore etc and temp line used for section to the left where the then regular line didn't run? re subsidence, remember the house that became a bungalow on Western Blvd? lol, site of such easily seen as new house there totally different to the rest

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just noticed something else on the photo, on the extreme right can be seen a row of houses L to R, pretty sure those were on R hand side of Whitemoor Avenue going towards Radford? someone also mentioned "the widening of Wilkinson St" am pretty sure it was a totally new road and did not exist pre ring road days, Gauntly St which ran along side it crossed the railway via level crossing and foot bridge

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Just looked on a few old maps and you're right, Wilkinson Street didn't exist as a road before the ring road and this photo. Prior to this, the line of the road is only marked as a Foot Path through open land and allotments

And I agree, those houses are on Whitemoor Avenue, which is all that was there in those days.

I've just noticed another thing about the "mineral line" in the photo. It doesn't seem to go over Nuthall Road or get into the area in the bottom right corner of the photo. It comes into the road, then just disappears,

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Despite me going on about that line being a temp narrow gauge etc another possibility if a long shot (lack of map evidence etc) was it some connection to the Midland Mansfield line? I recall the area at back of Basford Gas Works having no end of old sidings including some on their own bridges (2?) over the Leen, all had been lifted but the routes of some still traceable in 1970's vitually all the way to Wilkinson Street.

I also noticed the "end of the line") who knows, we are assuming it's to do with the road works but maybe some post Thomas North Line ripped up at same time, (pit was then shut) we are all guessing really?

Remember years ago talking to I assume the "original" Mr Martin of Martins Plumbers (if still there?) opposite Radford Rd Cop shop, he said he could remember trains going "across Aspley Lane", didn't say how they crossed, assume a level crossing?

Re Gauntley Street (correct spelling) again a guess but assume this was pre Wilkinson Street etc the "main road west" out of hyson green? it having that railway crossing and footbridge taking it to join Whitemoor Avenue/Road which again was a "main road" pre estate of same name running from still there section starting opposite Murphy's on Alpine Street through to Nuthall Road.

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Your Gauntley Street theory seems correct, according to this in 1915.......

But it's interesting to see that there was a Wilkinson Street back then - the one we know now is obviously an extension of what was a small side-street

wilkinson-1.jpg

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I have been calling the "road" Gauntley Street and indeed the tarmaced section going down to the crossing/footbridge is indeed named thus on maps now, but I wonder if it's earlier name was Plimsoll Street which now seems to have vanished totally? I first became aware of the name Plimsoll Street approx 1962 when the firm my father worked at Smith Dennis on Berridge Rd built a new engineering workshop in the old sand quarry there.

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I've just noticed another thing about the "mineral line" in the photo. It doesn't seem to go over Nuthall Road or get into the area in the bottom right corner of the photo. It comes into the road, then just disappears,

Looking at the picture, yet again, I think the rail line curves after crossing the road and goes along the side of the road. I think the suggestion that it is narrow gauge so I dont think it went to the MR near the gas works, it was possibly used for foundation material for the road construction, possibly horse worked at least it had a passing loop! A very interesting thread I hope you can find more.

The whole of North's colliery and railway systems is very interesting. The route to the canal predates any of the main line railways. House coal to Nottingham would have been horse & cart. The output of the collieries would be small compared with more modern times. Thanks for giving me great fun in looking into the past.

Brian.

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There is another photo in the same series on pictures the past Ref NTGM015117 which shows something in the background that could be Newcastle colliery. I don't know how to get it onto here.

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There is another photo in the same series on pictures the past Ref NTGM015117 which shows something in the background that could be Newcastle colliery. I don't know how to get it onto here.

newcastle2.jpg

Looks like the opposite view from the photo which I started with. This seems to be looking towards Western Boulevard (if it had been built then), and a collection of chimneys and things which could be Newcastle Colliery. You can also see the point where Wilkinson Street divides just before it reaches the ring road. As was mentioned earlier, seems to have been a planned major road which didn't quite happen

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wonder where that highest chimney is? enlarged shows it quite a distance from what looks like the headstocks, there are only a few of the official ring road building pics on picture the past, once saw a picture in the library took at "tung fong" island looking up nuthall rd, headstocks were clearly seen but nothing else making me think they were near the road?

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Suggest the tall chimney was located in the Aslockton Drive area (below the Aspley/Commodore, on same side)

Recall it being surrounded by the prefabs, and being operational in the 50's...

IIRC, it was included within the buildings which were effectively a part of Robert Shaw Ltd.

Cheers

Robt P.

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I would say pic in #16 is A about F? don't know what is meant by Robert Shaw's? but if pic was reversed that chimney could be the 2 of Saxby's on Bar Lane seen as one as in line one behind the other? or was there just one in 1930's?

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Seems like definitely one of the originals has been reversed.

Here's the picture from 16, but flipped

newcastle2reversed.jpg

And now the skyline is the same as the picture from 18

watermain.jpg

But of course you could also flip the picture from 18 and it would then match 16 in its unflipped state :rolleyes:

Looking at the one above with the pipe-laying, what/where are the buildings on the right? If that picture was flipped, could they be houses on the old Whitemoor bit?

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  • 6 months later...

Not sure if this is right place to put these 3 photos? but thanks Katyjay for the clue, thought I had posted more re the route of the old railway from Cinderhill pit to Nottingham canal on Radford Bridge Road? anyway 1st photo below shows where that line crossed the Radford to Trowell route on the level in a + junction, (Seeley's Crossing) It was where the tree on right of photo is, logical as no houses beyond the one shown?

The 2nd photo shows part of the land where Babbington Sidings were where. After a proper connection with The Midland route wagons were stored there for the private company for distribution of coal by rail. (the wide flat land nearest camera on right)

Those 2 photos were took 1st looking "east" 2nd looking "west" from the ring road bridge at Beechdale Baths

3rd photo is of Radford Bridge Road, the "extra" blue brick walls supported bridges carrying those sidings mentioned above

wbcrossing.jpg

babbosidings.jpg

radfordbridgeroad.jpg

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Nice and clear map Cliff Ton, thanks, when I first looked into that coal line I wondered if Radford Bridge Road had been the route of it under the Radford to Trowell Line! quickly found it wasn't, I called the crossover "Seeley's Crossing", The map has it as Babbington Crossing, looked at my notes again and I have Seeley's Babbington Crossing, I also got the sidings wrong! they were Newcastle Sidings. You can see the later built line to those, also that "Babbington Wharf" on the canal was in fact the other side of Ilkeston Road . Wonder if anyone has photo of the crossing there! (will it never end!!!!!)

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