Railways of Barnsley
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Newburgh Priory is a Grade 1 listed Tudor building near Coxwold, North Yorkshire, England. It is in the care of Stephen and Alice Wombwell and their family, who continue the effort to maintain the property.
The Gardens at Newburgh are lovingly cared for by a very small but dedicated team. Knowledgeable and passionate they keep it all in check through the many seasons & rugged Yorkshire weather conditions. Topiary, lakes and historic trees planted by royalty are key features around the grounds.
Thank you for your comments and faves. Much appreciated - especially as I have found Flickr a nightmare to use, to comment on and fave photos this last few days, which I assume to be a general problem.
I was very fortunate to see this little bird, which was extremely elusive and only showed briefly in the morning and early afternoon, and always tucked away in a tangle of hedgerow branches and twigs.
Here I spotted it in what looked like a clean shot down a fairly distant vegetative tunnel, as it preened. This is a very massive crop, taken from the road across to the nearer riverside hedge at the site just after midday.
I was standing about on the road not long after arriving, waiting in a group of people for the Firecrest or Yellow Browed Warbler to appear, when this little chap popped up for a sing-song. Eventually located him in the bushes and reeled off a few shots, before he dived back down into the undergrowth. Everyone thought I was photographing the YBW and got very excited for a moment, until I explained.
Thank you for the comments and faves, much appreciated.
A short walk this morning around the RSPB reserve at Wombwell ings in the Dearne valley...I was left wanting more so I followed the footpath into Darfield to take a look around the churchyard of All saints church. Its a great place to explore with many old gravestones the oldest dating back to 1699.
Hardly the best quality image I've ever uploaded, but I've persevered with it and figured it was worth sharing for interest value alone.
It features a pair of Woodhead class 76s, units 76032 and 76031, heading down the valley toward Wath-upon-Dearne with a rake of empty MGR wagons from Fiddlers Ferry Power Station.
On the hill in the background lies Wombwell and to the left of the locos is Mitchell Main Signal Box, which controlled the crossing barriers on Bradberry Balk Lane.
As can be seen by the span of the catenary gantries, the railway system in these parts was once more extensive, at least regards sidings and loops. Coal was still King too when I took the shot (there were many mines hereabouts), but the output was nowhere near as prolific as it had been perhaps 20 - 30 years earlier.
Today the railway has disappeared and the trackbed, once resonating to the passage of countless coal trains, is now part of the Trans Pennine Trail. Climb on your bike here and you can ride across the Pennines on the closed section of the old Woodhead route - well, with the exception of the tunnel itself that is.
The surroundings have significantly changed too - the empty fields beyond the train are now part of an industrial and retail park, and the area bisected by a bypass named Mitchells Way.
Rather like the coal industry in these parts, this is a bit of South Yorkshire's history that's gone for good.
NB. My notes tell me that 76031 used to be 76044 - I don't know the story behind that but maybe it was renumbered when fitted for multiple working.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol
1st July 1977
Based on a LNER-design by Sir Nigel Gresley during WW2, these locomotives bear all the hallmarks of a heavy duty build that's perhaps more consistent with the physical needs of a steam locomotive rather than the lesser moving parts and more benign environment of electric traction.
Constructed post-war between 1950 and 1953 for use on the 1500v DC Woodhead route they carried some modifications to the 1941-built prototype 'Tommy', while still bearing the armour plate appearance of the original.
Seen here is unit 76053 which is heading down the Dearne Valley towards Wath Yard with what looks like an engineers' train. Mitchell Main Signal Box, which controls the road crossing I'm stood upon, is just out of sight on my right, and the small South Yorkshire town of Wombwell forms the backdrop.
The railway disappeared from here almost 40 years ago but the trackbed was retained to form part of the long distance Trans-Pennine Trail where, those with time and energy to burn, can make their way over a sizeable part of the defunct Woodhead route to eventually end up on the banks of the River Mersey.
The fields are long gone too and in their place now stands a retail / industrial park. In the distance can be see a rake of parked-up Merry Go Round wagons - a sign of the importance of coal to this route.
Should blow up to full-screen for anyone interested in rivet-counting, or seeing a bit more! Commenting off for this one, thanks.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol.
1st July 1977
With one of the crossing gates captured in the frame, the pair of bankers on duty that day, 76023 nearest the camera and 76029, descend the Worsborough Incline at Lewden Crossing and head for Wombwell Exchange Sidings a mile or so away where they will await their next turn.
The Manchester, Sheffield, Wath 1500v DC electrified route boasted very few semaphore signals so I was happy to incorporate the one to the right of the locos in the frame. The shot was taken from the board adjacent to the ground-level signal cabin.
By the 1970s the line was surviving almost exclusively on coal traffic from the Yorkshire coalfield to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station near Widnes, so when this traffic started to dwindle, large sections of the Woodhead route, including this one, were closed. The last train would run four years later in July 1981 ensuring this stretch, opened in 1880 by the Great Central Railway, would just achieve its centenary.
Commenting off, thanks.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol.
1st July 1977
A pair of class 37s, 37124 and 37121, pass Mitchells Main Signal Box as they steady a rake of loaded Merry-Go-Round wagons on the downgrade towards Wath Yard.
The area was rich in coal mines at the time and the train could be headed to any one of the then many coal-fired power stations in the UK. That would also include Fiddlers Ferry on Merseyside - the line is electrified at 1500v DC as part of the Woodhead route so it’s possible electric traction could take over at Wath, bring the train back up the line and turn left towards the Worsborough Incline and the route over the Pennines.
In the background lie open fields with the town of Wombwell on the skyline. The church and spire (just beside the signal) belong to the Henry Adams Memorial Church on Barnsley Road - the building is still standing but, from what I can make out, has now been converted to residential accomodation.
Of course the area has changed significantly in the 45 years or so since this shot was taken - the coal industry has disappeared, the railway line has disappeared (the trackbed here now forms apart of the Trans-Pennine Cycle Route), a bypass has been built in the middle distance (it can be found on the map as the A633 Mitchells Way), and a retail / industrial estate now graces the scene on the right.
The shot was taken from Bradberry Balk Lane on an overcast day. I've deliberately not brightened it up to try retain something of the atmosphere that seemed to define the area at the time. Looks best full-screen.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol.
1st July 1977
If you look at the eye of this bird you can see that it appears to have three ticks that will be sucking its blood and weakening it, though fortunately they are small so should not be doing too much damage. Birds are not usually the main hosts of ticks (there are a few rare exceptions like pigeons and seabirds) but opportunistic ticks may attach to birds instead of their preferred mammal host. So it is usually ground-dwelling birds that are affected rather than tree-dwellers like Chiffchaff.
So how do we know that this is a Siberian Chiffchaff rather than the standard Chiffchaff that breeds and winters in the UK? Well first and foremost it gave the characteristic call which was a single note with no upslur at the end like this xeno-canto.org/676187 Probably most importantly it has clean whitish underparts with no yellow tones. It has brighter green edging to the flight feathers but any yellow should be restricted to the bend in the wing. The upperparts of this bird are greyish with some green feathering, which is a characteristic of the western race fulvescens. The eastern race tristis is usually more buff-coloured. I photographed this bird at Wombwell Ings near Barnsley and it was with a Common Chiffchaff that had duller, grey underparts and the whole back was dull olive.
Here is a Common Chiffchaff (albeit a rather pale-legged individual) showing sullied underparts mixed with some yellow: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/48087047022/in/photolist
Wombwell Wood.
Thank you once again to everyone for taking the time to view & comment, it is really appreciated Dean
Having uploaded a shot of 76031 (previously 76044) and 76032 heading towards Wath a couple of images ago, this is a shot of the same pair later in the day, seen here departing Wombwell Main Exchange Sidings with a loaded MGR train to Fiddlers Ferry PS.
I'm stood at the very foot of the Worsborough Incline, a gruelling seven mile rise, three miles of which are at a nominal gradient of 1 in 40. In fact legend has it that some sections were much steeper as a result of coal mining subsidence in the area. I took this from a public foot-crossing about one hundred yards from the Exchange Sidings.
Above the locomotives can be seen Swaithe Viaduct carrying the Sheffield to Leeds line. Wombwell station, my point of arrival earlier in the day, lies a mile or so down the line to the left.
In the distance you can just about make out the home and distant signals. With both currently 'on', these control progress over Lewden Crossing and, to a lesser extent, the crossing beyond.
Given the full train-load of coal, the two locomotives on the front will be supported by a pair of bankers, also class 76s. These will drop off at the top of the incline and return back down here to await their next turn of duty.
Having 'discovered' this area the previous week, I was lucky enough to be able to get time off work and make a swift return with the trusty OS Map for a bit more exploring. This trip saw me start the day at Mitchells Main, walk on towards Wombwell Main Exchange Sidings and this foot-crossing, before following another footpath and ending up at Lewden Crossing. These weren't particularly long days seeing as the train back from Wombwell station left sometime around 4pm - you could never leave it too late because trains from Sheffield back south to Nottingham were quite thin on the ground after 6pm as I recall. Despite the shortish day it still proved a decent enough circular walk carrying a couple of cameras plus lenses - happy days when the stamina was a bit better!
As mentioned before, this freight line has long since disappeared and the route is now part of the Trans Pennine Trail.
An image uploaded for curiosity value, and in portrait format too so it might look better on a tablet or smartphone! Commenting off, thanks.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol.
1st July 1977
20007 & 20205 pass Wombwell, South Yorkshire working 3S14 11:13 Grimsby Pasture St-Bridlington via Sheffield. 17/10/2018.
A rider on the Trans Pennine Trail might be forgiven for not recognising this scene, captured where the route crosses Station Road on the outskirts of Worsborough village.
This shot was taken in 1977 when the railway was still vibrant and carried significant quantities of coal from the many collieries in the area, over the Pennines and Woodhead to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in the North West.
On my left is the ground-floor signal cabin known as Lewden Crossing - the signalman here was in charge of the manually operated crossing gates and the few signals protecting it from both directions. On the right is a fairly sizeable wooden hut, which I'm guessing was used by the permanent way crews. If the railway line here looks like it's rising steeply, well that's because it is - this is the infamous Worsborough (or Wentworth) Incline with a ruling gradient of 1 in 40. Even against the level planks of the wooden hut the gradient is quite apparent.
It was the steepness of the incline that usually necessitated the use of four electric class 76s on the coal-laden MGR trains that used the route - two up front and two bankers behind. In this shot the bankers on duty that day, 76029 (nearest the camera) and 76023, are coasting back down the grade to Wombwell where they will await their next turn of duty.
By kind permission of the signalman I was stood inside the crossing gate for this shot. No surprise the cabin was pretty basic and the wooden walkway, sturdy but insubstantial, took you around to the back of the cabin and safely over the semaphore signal wires. No safety handrails or hi-vis painted planks here, you were expected to look where you were going.
The demise of the coal industry in Yorkshire, and falling freight traffic generally, would result in closure of the Woodhead route together with this section, the Wath branch, some four years later in 1981.
Happily the closed route was converted to form part of the Trans Pennine Trail and you can now walk or ride over a significant part of the line, the Woodhead tunnel excepted. So, if you find yourself in these parts and come across an innocuous road while dodging to avoid the plentiful bushes and scrub either side of the trail, spare a thought for what used to be here.
Ilford FP4 rated at 160asa, developed in Acutol
1st July 1977
After reversing at Brightside the 6C82 2216 Belmont - Wombwell passes through Meadowhall Interchange with 56113 leading and 56302 on the rear .
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20205 & 20007 pass through Wombwell, South Yorkshire working 3S14 11:13 Grimsby Pasture St (signal 1000) to Bridlington via Sheffield. 17/10/2018.
During their very short spell on the RHTT circuit this year, Direct Rail Services 20305 leads 20302 through Wombwell working 3S14 Grimsby Pasture ST to Bridlington. 10/10/18
The late running 2B42 0630 Sheffield - Huddersfield arrives at Wombwell to pick up a couple of passengers .
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Another million views have been accumulated since I marked the 5,000,000 point in 2021. This is the first picture I uploaded to Flickr back in 2012. The version we see here though has been somewhat brilliantly colourised by Flickr's very own fishpl8. I have to say I think he has brought the image to life.
My thanks to everyone who has visited, faved and commented on the many images in my photostream and albums over the years.
With 56113 on the other end , 56302 leads the 6C82 2216 Belmont - Wombwell engineers train down Platform 1 at Meadowhall Interchange .
The train would use Brightside sidings to reverse leading to 56113 on the front as it reappeared leaving for the work site via Platform 4 .
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Last in service from Barking(BK)garage in 1978 , RT2758 is pictured here at Wombwell in 1979. (Collection)
www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/b...
A small, green warbler similar in size to a goldcrest. The yellow 'eyebrow' is distinctive, as is the coal tit-like call. Yellow-browed warblers breed in Siberia and occur in the UK every year as they migrate south-westwards.
Overview
Latin name
Phylloscopus inornatus
Family
Warblers and allies (Sylviidae)
Where to see them
Coastal trees and scrub, arriving on the east coast initially, though some birds do make it into south-west England.
When to see them
From September to November; a few birds may attempt to spend winter in this country.
What they eat
Insects
Population
UK Winteing:- 8 birds
UK Passage:- around 1,000 birds
20303/20312/20302 stand at Wombwell on 29.01.14 after arriving with the 6T35 19.10 Doncaster Up Decoy - Wombwell engineers train.
Back to the MSW lines for this batch of pictures, taken around Wombwell in 1978 on the Wath "branch".
Here one of the vacuum braked only examples of class 76 heads towards Wath with a train of empty bogie bolsters. The angle of the photo shows how the beds of these wagons were built to be convex when empty, compressing a little with loads.
One thing I am wondering is if the cross pieces on the overhead gantries were built so as to be adjustable, in the event of movement due to mining subsidence? The two sections of fastenings in the main uprights are absent for gantries west of Woodhead.
Just beyond the back of the train the MSW turned left for the climb though Worsborough to eventually reach Penistone. The area today is a mass of new roads and no railway for miles, but nonetheless I think the map location I've done is fairly accurate.
Originally D5552, one of the early builds without a headcode box and still in as built condition with double doors and valance below the buffer beam. Seen heading west with the overhead maintenance train which would appear to be converted from Gresley teak bodied coaches for the first three vehicles at least.
The MGR wagons at left are on the connecting line to what was Darfield Main Colliery. The junction to this, and the controlling signalbox, can just be seen on the right of the back of the train.
The day was abysmal in terms of light, classic bright but sunless summer haze, quite common round here and the East Midlands area.
I'm afraid I have no precise date for these pictures, but it is sometime in July 1978.
RSPB Wombwell Ings, South Yorkshire. Riverside hedgerow, principally just before the overflow pipe. Extremely mobile and hard to get focus on kept spending a few minutes in the hedgerow before nipping back over the other side of the river.
'Follow-the-leader’. Our elegant winter visitors, a trio of Black-tailed Godwits taking flight after foraging in the shallows, RSPB Old Moor, Moor Ln, Wombwell, Bolton upon Dearne, Barnsley S73 0YF.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Black-tailed Godwit Notes and Information:
The Black-tailed godwit is a rare breeding bird in the UK that has suffered from dramatic declines. It can most easily be spotted around the coast in winter and at inland wetlands when on migration.
Category: Wading birds
Statistics: Length: 36-44cm
Wingspan: 76cm
Weight: 280-340g
Average lifespan: 18 years
Conservation status:
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
When to see: January to December
About:
A tall, elegant wader, the Black-tailed godwit breeds in wet grasslands, and winters on coastal estuaries and marshes, and at inland shallow waters. A sociable bird, it forms large flocks when feeding, probing the mud with its bill for invertebrate-prey. Black-tailed godwits form monogamous pairs that can last for 25 years. Every year, faithful couples will arrive at their breeding grounds within three days of each other, mate and raise their chicks together.
How to identify:
During spring and summer, adult Black-tailed godwits have greyish backs, white bellies and brick-orange heads, necks and chests. In winter, they are grey above and white below. When they fly, Black-tailed godwits display a black tail, a white rump and broad, white wing bars; their feet stick out well beyond their tail. They are taller than the similar Bar-tailed godwit, and have a straighter bill.
Distribution:
A rare breeding bird of wet grasslands in East Anglia, Kent and North West England. Fairly common on migration at wetlands throughout the country. Winters on estuaries around the coast.
Habitats:
Grassland / Freshwater / Coastal / Wetlands
Did you know?
The UK's breeding Black-tailed godwits winter in Africa, while the birds that spend their winters on the south coast of the UK nest in Iceland. Those that nest in Iceland are actually a different subspecies (Limosa limosa islandia) to those that breed in the rest of Europe (Limosa limosa limosa). WT Notes.
A pair of 1500v DC class 76 electrics, 76031 and 76032, depart from Wombwell Main reception sidings having collected a rake of coal-laden MGRs from what was a then vibrant Yorkshire coalfield. The ultimate destination is Fiddlers Ferry Power Station on the banks of the River Mersey, but the class 76s will only taken them as far as the Manchester area where diesel traction will take over for the final leg.
Just behind me is the start of the 1 in 40 Worsborough Incline - so the two electric locomotives on the front will be supported by a further two at the rear banking the heavy train up the challenging grade.
Rather like the Yorkshire coalfield, nothing now remains of the railway system here which was closed in 1981. Cyclists and hikers can still enjoy a good deal of the old route however which now forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail - an official leisure pathway between the east and west coasts of England.
Agfa CT18
1st July 1977
Showing sporadically through the day, mainly in the riverside hedge from the reserve path, but hugely difficult to get a clean shot, as it tended to stay either deep in the hedge, or on the other side, only occasionally and fleetingly showing as it rapidly flitted in and out of open sight, feeding.
Light not great, mainly overcast, contrary to the forecast for the afternoon and, as is often the case, the bird rarely showed when the sun was out! Generally, busy with birders and photographers in limited space, so not an easy day.
Thank you for the faves and comments. Always appreciated.
Wombwell became a parish in 1864. A war memorial stands in the grounds of the church; and inside there are several other memorials relating to both World Wars. The magnificent stained glass window was given by the Mitchell family in memory of their son, 2nd Lt. Joseph Spencer Mitchell RFC, who was accidently killed while flying in France in 1916. If you look carefully when you visit you can see a plane in the window.
St Mary’s is home to a cricket bat which belonged to Roy Kilner, a former choir boy and CLB member who played for Yorkshire and England. His funeral in 1928 which brought thousands of mourners to the town.
There are two stone fonts to see, along with other stonework from previous buildings. In 1938 a part of the old church was found under the floor of the organ chamber. A capital and part of a shaft and arch can be seen under a trap door. It was estimated that about nine feet of the shaft and base will be below ground near to Church Street, which was the original level of the church.
Information from National Churches Trust website