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Batley to Beeston
1890 - 1951
Great Northern Railway
Contributors:  © Reproduction prohibited / Simon Edgerton / Rikj / Andrew Stopford / Keith Evans
                           David Taylor / Jonathan Arey / David Illingworth / Peter Burnell / David Webdale
The Route
From Batley west  junction to Tingley west junction via Woodkirk,
& from Tingley east junction to Beeston junction.

Length
5 3/4 miles

Original Company
Opened originally by the The Great Northern to connect Batley with their Ardsley - Leeds/Bradford lines.

Openings 
Batley to Soothill colliery 1887
Batley - Tingley - Beeston 1st August 1890.

Closures
Passengers - 27th October 1951.
Freight - Batley to Woodkirk & Tingley to Beeston 4th July1953.
             Woodkirk to Tingley 28th June 1964. This section remained open to serve the Woodkirk quarries.
                                 
Railway Ramblers gazetteer
See also the Railway Ramblers gazetteer - Leeds : GNR Batley - Tingley - Beeston Jn

Batley GNR
Opened 01-08-1890 . Closed 07-09-1964.
Batley GNR c1900 : Paul     See also Adwalton Wakefield line
This is a picture of a platform at Batley station that no longer exists. I believe it was the island platfrom that trains from Earlsheaton, Dewsbury, Batley Carr came to. If you go to Batley station and go down the steps to go over to platform 2 before you go up the steps you can see where it has been bricked up, where u could carry on going to then reach this platform.
Batley (c1931) : Malcolm Mallison
From the 1931 survey- Batley, Dewsbury, Woodkirk
Batley (nd) : Paul Holroyd
Batley.
Batley (nd) : Paul Holroyd
Batley.
Lady Ann Road, Batley (01-01-08) : Andrew Stopford
Photo of bridge abutement at Lady Ann Road, Batley. It carried the Woodkirk line out of Batley and is just after the junction site.
Bloomsdale Road, Batley (21-03-08) : Andrew Stopford
Trackbed in use as a footpath behind Bloomsdale Road. Honestly it is! Looking away from Batley.
Bloomsdale Road, Batley (21-03-08) : Andrew Stopford
Line of the branch in front of the red brick houses (Bloomsdale Road) - Batley Station to the right.
Was there a bridge over this road?

Note : David Illingworth (07-09-08)
Regarding the existence of a bridge over Bloomsdale Road outside Batley Station. A quick answer is no. this is due to the fact that Soothill has for several decades been subjected to several landscape assaults, mining, reclamation and now the estate. This picture was taken from a point near to where the trackbed lay. The Road was in fact carved up the hill for access to the houses. I spent many of my Saturday afternoons of my youth, sat on the wall near the turnout by the bridge in Lady Ann Road ,so I know it quite well. Trusting this is of help.

Note : Keith Evans (10-08-09)
Andrew Stopford asks if there was ever a bridge over Broomsdale Rd .When the railway was in use there was in fact a bridge on which the railway ran over a rough unmade road which was called Finsdale St .This road was later was linked to Broom St which was off Soothill Lane hence the name I presume ; ie Broomsdale a combination of the two ! . This took place long after the line had closed of course and the area landscaped and built upon . So in answer to his question there was a bridge over a road but long before Broomsdale Rd as such existed . I well remember the area before the rails were lifted . My grandfather who came from Wales worked as foreman at the coke ovens nearby and adjacent to the line.
 
Tortoise Hill (26-12-08) : Peter Burnell
Heading towards Soothill tunnel passing what is known locally as tortoise hill.
I'm pretty sure where the tree is there was a signal box. may have an old photo of that in a book somewhere.

Note : Keith Evans (15-09-09)
Peter Burnell makes reference to a signal box along the line . He is correct and location about right too. A photo of the box can be seen in the book Around Batley by Norman Ellis [Page 110 ] . Just before the box which served sidings to the coke ovens/pit was a concrete footbridge which remained in place long after the line closed and track lifted . I am pretty sure, but not quite certain ,that the man on the first step is my grandfather a foreman at the coke ovens .
Drainage system (26-12-08) : Peter Burnell
The Batley - Beeston line leading up to Soothill tunnel with drainage system on the left.
Cutting (26-12-08) : Peter Burnell
The cutting leading away from the tunnel towards Batley.
I took this shot from on top of the shed that is built onto tunnel the entrance.
Trackbed (26-12-08) : Peter Burnell
The trackbed leading to Soothill tunnel.
Woodkirk & Soothill os map  1985
Soothill Tunnel western portal SE258250  28-01-06 : Rikj    websites  www.flickr.com/photos/rikj/   http://www.darkplaces.co.uk/
This is the western portal at SE258250. It is obviously still in use for something, as the hum of machinery can be heard inside the well constructed building here. There have been repeated attempts to break in, but behind the outer stone skin is a concrete breeze block wall, then another layer of stone brick! Our first thought was that this was for draining the tunnel but it may be that as the tunnel now lies under several million cubic yards of landfill, it might be to do with gas management.
Soothill Tunnel eastern portal SE263249  28-01-06 : Rikj
This is the eastern portal of the 659 yard Soothill Tunnel at grid ref SE263249. After following the old trackbed from Woodkirk station you come to the portal. The track is very wet and muddy, but there is little standing water. As usual there is a lot of tipped rubbish. The security gates are unusually well made and access is not possible. Also, unusually, a newish concrete floor and drainage channels have been laid inside the entrance to the tunnel. A set of steep steps (maybe for track workers) lead up to the road from the portal.

Woodkirk station
Opened 01-08-1890. Closed 23-09-1939 . Freight - 1964.
Woodkirk station 1968 : Jonathan Arey
Woodkirk (c1931) : Malcolm Mallison
From the 1931 survey- Batley, Dewsbury, Woodkirk
Woodkirk station facing south 28-01-06 : Rikj
The remains of Woodkirk station.
The section of line between Woodkirk & Tingley remained open to serve the quarries until 1964.
Woodkirk station house (02-07-06) : Andrew Stopford
Remains of Woodkirk station house.
Woodkirk trackbed (n.d) : Jonathan Arey

Tingley Station
Opened 01-08-1890. Closed 01-02-1954. Freight - 1964.
Tingley station 1900 : Jonathan Arey   See also Ardsley Laisterdyke
A busy junction in its day, situated between four major towns. Passengers would change trains here for Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford & Batley.
Tingley station buildings 1968 : Simon Edgerton
Tingley station buildings 1968 : Simon Edgerton
Tingley station buildings 1968 : Simon Edgerton
Dewsbury Road bridge 1968 : Simon Edgerton
A653 Dewsbury Road, near what is now the road maintenance depot at the traffic lights
opposite to the entrance to Tingley Gasworks looking down towards Leeds. (1968)
Tingley signal box 1968 : Simon Edgerton
Note : Tony Glynn
My grandfather Tom Broughton was a signalman at Tingley station during the 1940s and 1950s.
Until his death in early 1960's he lived at 97 Middleton Road Morley.
Tingley signal box 1968 : Simon Edgerton
Tingley station buildings & signal box 1968 : Simon Edgerton
Tingley Viaduct
Tingley viaduct (02/2005) : David Taylor.
Tingley Viaduct crossing the Ardsley - Leeds line.

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