Large sections of the route have been or are being, converted to cycle paths and walkways and adopted by Sustrans.
The GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension route or Derby Friar Gate Line as its often referred to locally was a "back line"that opened in 1878 and ran from Nottingham through Derby (over Friar Gate Bridge) and to Egginton where it joined the North Staffordshire Railway. This line closed in 1964.
On my map I have traced the entire original route of the Friar Gate Line from its junction at Egginton all the way to Nottingham. Along the way I have marked on the locations of the all the GNR railway stations that served the Friar Gate line.
The GNR Friar Gate Line Serving stations (Have I missed any?)
Egginton Junction, Etwall Railway Station, Mickleover Railway Station, Derby Friar Gate Railway Station, Awsworth Railway Station, West Hallam Railway Station, Kimberley East Railway Station, Daybrook Railway Station, Basford North Railway Station, Gedling Railway Station and Netherfield Railway Station.
I have also marked the tunnels at Mapperley, Mickleover and Morley.
Using the Satellite mapping function in Google Maps you can clearly see certain sections of the line.
I have also used Google Streetview in many locations along the route to identify road bridges and paths. Sometimes even though the railway line has gone, the bridge over it remains in place.
Some of the markers I have placed in my map have small photographs in them, click on them to view a larger version. These photographs were taken by Flickr photographers.
If YOU have any photographs of things along this route that I have not included then please get in touch so I can add them.
I have put a lot of time and effort into making sure my route path and markers are correctly positioned but in some areas such as Daybrook I may be off slightly, please let me know if this is the case. In those areas where there was no clear route using the Satellite map I had to guess by using bridges and stations either side for reference combined with some old maps of the route.
I hope you find my Friar Gate Line Route map of interest, perhaps you will learn something from it that you did not know before.
My Map :
The Derby Friargate Line Route map. (GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension.)
I have provided several quick links that will allow you to zoom in on stations etc. Simply use your mouse to drag the map around to follow the original route of the railway lines (marked with a blue line).
Some of the books I used for reference :
Friargate Line: Derby and the Great Northern Railway
Lost Railways of Derbyshire
Lost Railways of Nottinghamshire
There are lots of books on this subject but quite a few are out of print but you may find one on ebay.
Here is an embedded map of the complete Friar Gate Line route showing all markers :
View The Derby Friargate Line Route. (aka GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension) in a larger map
Thanks
Andy
Excellent work on this route map. You should save some pictures from Streetview of the King Street ironwork as it’s been removed now as part of the roadworks. I wonder what they did with it? Another Friargate Line relic gone.
ReplyDeleteAre those gates on North Parade really from a level crossing? I assumed that the track was much lower than road level and that North Parade was bridged over it. In which case why would there be a need for a level crossing?
Would love to see more pictures of that stretch, there are only a couple in the Higginson book and mostly from track level looking up. I’m sure there must be people out there with old photos that show the bridges in Strutts Park.
PS – are you not tempted to draw in the sidings by the river around the Handyside bridge? Quite easy to trace where they used to be and important in terms of the Foundry
Thanks Rob,
ReplyDeleteYes you are correct about those blue gates on North Parade, I'd always assumed that they were from the line but looking today at a detailed Alan Godfrey map of that area combined with the excellent photograph on page 115 of Mark Higginsons book I see I need to update my map. I wonder what those gates were for?
Yes would be good to see peoples photos of that area but its a case of tracking them down.
And YES I am in the process of marking in the line to Handysides foundry from the Friar Gate line, so keep a look out for this bit soon.
Thanks
Andy
From the old maps it is clear that the wasteland behind the gates on North Parade was part of the cutting, so maybe the gates were an access point to the track for machinery? I suspect there weren’t too many other access points from where it went underground at King Street to the Handyside Bridge.
ReplyDeleteI work on the assumption that all the old blue brick walls in the area are original to the railway, but I suppose it’s also possible that the gates were put in at the time it was decommissioned and the access was for the landfill machinery? That land is now apparently owned privately (according to the lady that lives next to it) not by the council as I had assumed. Probably explains why it’s not been sold off for development yet!