Border County relic
The Border Counties railway was a single track branch opened between 1858 and 1862, which followed the path of the River North Tyne from Hexham to it's source and then on through the Scottish borders where it met the Waverley route at Riccarton Junction.
The line traversed sparsely populated countryside, and north of the town of Bellingham wild upland moors. It's fair to say that construction had more to do with getting the North British Railway (who helped fund the building of the line), access to Tyneside, than profiting from the rather limited freight and passenger opportunities of the area.
None the less the railway seems to have been constructed to a high standard. Despite closure nearly 60 years ago many of the buildings still stand. Stations have been converted to private dwellings and even plate-layers huts survive often abandoned but still withstanding the tough conditions of the area.
This example made of wood but with a brick chimney stands just to the north of Kielder village.
27th March 2019.
Border County relic
The Border Counties railway was a single track branch opened between 1858 and 1862, which followed the path of the River North Tyne from Hexham to it's source and then on through the Scottish borders where it met the Waverley route at Riccarton Junction.
The line traversed sparsely populated countryside, and north of the town of Bellingham wild upland moors. It's fair to say that construction had more to do with getting the North British Railway (who helped fund the building of the line), access to Tyneside, than profiting from the rather limited freight and passenger opportunities of the area.
None the less the railway seems to have been constructed to a high standard. Despite closure nearly 60 years ago many of the buildings still stand. Stations have been converted to private dwellings and even plate-layers huts survive often abandoned but still withstanding the tough conditions of the area.
This example made of wood but with a brick chimney stands just to the north of Kielder village.
27th March 2019.