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Heaton Lodge - Farnley Junction (Leeds New Line)  Page: 1 of  6    [ 1  2  3  4  5  6  Next >> ]
1900 - 1965
London & North Western Railway
Contributors:  © Reproduction prohibited / Andrew Stopford / Paul Holroyd / S Baggot / Eric Ellis / Bernard Coomber / John Wraithmell / Michael Kaye / Lost Railways
The Route
From Heaton Lodge Junction East of Huddersfield
( L.N.W.R Huddersfield  Leeds Line & the L &Y Calder Valley Line)
To Farnley Junction West of Leeds (on the L.N.W.R Ravensthorpe to Leeds line)
From Huddersfield to Leeds - The Down Line.  From Leeds to Huddersfield - The Up Line.

Length
13 miles, 2 furlongs, 7chains, 45 links (80chains = 1mile  1chain = 22yards)
13 & 7/16 Miles or thereabouts.
Original Company
Opened by the London & North Western Railway company.
Originally the line was called the Heaton Lodge & Wortley Railway.
During construction became known as The Leeds New Line.
At the time of closure British Rail called it The Spen Valley Line.

Opening
 1st October 1900.

Closures
Passengers - August 1965.
Freight - Between Farnley Junction & Liversedge Spen - August 1965.
                Between Heaton Lodge & Heckmondwike Spen Goods -1966
                Between Heckmondwike Spen Goods (L & Y Ravensthorpe branch)
                & Liversedge (Charrington Hargreaves oil terminal) - 1986.
1   Battyeford
2   Northorpe
3   Heckmondwike Spen
4   Liversedge Spen
5   Cleckheaton Spen
6   Gomersal
7   Birstall Town
8   Gildersome
9   Farnley & Wortley
 

The Leeds New Line route maps
The six pages of the Leeds New Line are divided into a series of six modern street maps.
The route of the old railway line is combined with modern street maps & shows the crossings over or under roads where possible.
Of course many of the road bridges over the line have now been filled in underneath & the railway bridges over the roads have been demolished.
We follow the route northwards from Heaton Lodge junction Huddersfield to Farnley junction Leeds.











 
 















   You are here: Map 1 Mirfield
   Heaton Lodge junction -Dunbottle lane
Map 2 Northorpe Map 3 Heckmondwike Map 4 Cleckheaton Map 5 Gildersome Map 6 Wortley
 

Map 1 Mirfield 
Heaton Lodge Junction to Dunbottle lane
 L.N.W.R Leeds New Line shown in red






















 
Excursion Hand Bills Paul Holroyd / S Baggot  website -  Vintage Carriages Trust
1952 Excursion handbills for Morcambe & Scarborough via all Leeds New Line Spen Valley stations.
See Vintage Carriages on this site.
Heaton Lodge : Bernard Coomber
Britannia 'Robin Hood' rounds the curve from Huddersfield at Heaton Lodge eastbound.
Spen Valley Junction  (08-06-03) : Lost Railways
The start of the Leeds New Line. This location  is just a bit further left around the corner towards Huddersfield than is shown on above map. Originally six tracks at this location and a signal box to the right. This photo taken from the Road bridge  (see Bottom left of  Heaton Lodge Junction map).
Spen Valley Junction (26-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Last surviving stretch of Leeds New Line
 
Heaton lodge junction map 1908 : Lost Railways
Officially Heckmondwike & Heaton Lodge Junction.
Two short single bore tunnels, take the Leeds New Line under the L & Y Calder Valley main line, forming a flying junction.
Heaton lodge junction sign : Paul Holroyd 18-03-06   website -  Vintage Carriages Trust
 And a few others, currently on display in the Museum of Rail Travel, Ingrow near Keighley.
Heaton lodge footbridge (07-06-03) : Lost Railways
Still in use, & re timbered. Built to provide access over the Leeds New Line,
to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Signal box   (see top right of Heaton Lodge Junction Map).
Heaton Lodge Facing North (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
A Couple of hundred yards further towards Mirfield, only just visible behind the single track on the far side, is an embankment. This  led onto the 700 ton 267 feet Battyeford girder bridge, at a gradient of 1 in 90. The single track once a double, formed part of the Leeds new line, but was connected back onto the original main line back in 1970 to form a flying junction.
Heaton Lodge Facing North (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 47 passenger at  Heaton Lodge joining back onto the mainline, having passed underneath the flying junction.
More tracks & loco hauled passenger trains in those days.
Mirfield : Bernard Coomber
 A westbound coal train passes a local DMU looking west from Woodend Lane bridge Mirfield. Note the girder bridge for the Leeds New Line.
Mirfield (c1980) : Lost Railways
Nothing much to do with the Leeds New Line, a class 37 &  tankers  heading toward Mirfield. Just visible on the right is part of the stone pillar supporting Battyeford girder bridge.  Heaton lodge junction just visible in distance.
Battyford girder bridge : c/o Michael Kaye.  Photograph by kind permission from John Wraithmell
Class 40 taken from the back of Heaton Lodge Junc Box, you can see Battyford Bridge.
Battyford girder bridge Facing West (25-04-04) : Lost Railways
Taken from the east bank of the river Calder, facing back toward Heaton lodge Junction. A clearer view of the stone pillar. Construction was a single span latticed warren riveted bridge, 267 ft long weighing 700 tons. The gradient of 1 in 90 was to provide a minimum head room of 15 ft above the river.
Battyford girder bridge Facing  South (29-08-05) : Lost Railways
Photographed from my mates barge. A closer view of the stone pillars on the west bank
Battyford girder bridge Facing  East (29-08-05) : Lost Railways
Another photograph from the barge. Girder Bridge pillar & end view of viaduct on the east bank of the river.
Heaton Lodge Facing East (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
A side on view of the three of the remaining arches of a stone viaduct originally  89 yards long.  This lead onto the blue brick  Battyeford viaduct.
Battyeford viaduct Facing East (07-06-03) : Lost Railways
Close up of the the ten or so remaining arches of the Battyeford viaduct, originally 193 yards long & built of blue engineering brick.
Battyeford viaduct Facing East (07-06-03) : Lost Railways
Even closer up. Apparently the firm hired to demolish the remaining section of the viaduct, went bust after several failed attempts using explosives.
Battyeford Viaduct Facing West (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
The other end of the remaining section of the viaduct taken form the A644 Huddersfield road.
Half the length of the Battyford station platforms were carried on the viaduct over the road at this point.

Battyeford Station
 Opened 01-10-1900. Closed 03-01-1953.
Battyeford station map 1908 : Lost Railways
 The station buildings were of timber construction, platforms were brick with stone flags.
Goods yard consisted of - Stone warehouse, loading dock, stables & coal merchant.
Battyford & Mirfield viabuct (n.d) Photo: Eric Ellis  website - Mirfield memoriesRailways
In this Ariel photo, kindly donated by Eric Ellis, the Mirfield viaduct is visible across the top of photo. From left to right - Top left Battyford goods warehouse , iron bridge crossing Nettleton road, five viaduct arches, iron bridge crossing Doctor lane, four arches leading onto an embankment
& top right an iron bridge (I think) crossing Knowle road.
Battyeford Station Facing East (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
Here Part of the original blue brick used as a garden wall next to the pavement.
Behind the houses are what remains of  Battyeford station,  retaining walls & some bricked up arches. I don't know what the arches were for.
Battyeford Station Facing East (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
Up on top facing the same direction. Hard to believe there was a station here at all. Wilson terrace is in the centre of photo in the distance.
Twelve L.N.W.R Houses Littlemoor road (31-05-03) : Lost Railways
The L.N.W.R re-housed a number of people displaced by the construction of the railway in Battyeford & Heckmondwike.
The contract to build 12 houses on Littlemoor road, was awarded in August 1895.
They are all built to the same design as the 80 houses in Heckmondwike (see page 3) Total Cost - Houses £3,084 - Streets  £300
Oddfellows Street Facing West (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
This is the only evidence I have found where the line may have crossed Doctor lane on the last part of the Mirfield viaduct. (originally constructed of blue engineering brick & 190 yards long) A sloping stone wall to the left & an old  engineering brick wall on the right. It may just be re-used stone & bricks, I don't know.
Parker Lane Facing East (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
From Knowle road, we picked up a footpath (which seems to follow the route of the old line) went through a new housing estate & came out here on Parker lane. On the left are the remnants of parker lane bridge over the line, now a garden wall.
Dunbottle Lane Facing North (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
Not much evidence between Parker lane & here. The whole area has been re-developed. Across the middle of the photo is Dunbottle lane bridge, the railway ran through here. It seems common practise to land fill & bulldoze earth under bridges to avoid maintaining them. Building had started here in 2004.
Dunbottle Lane Facing East (14-07-02) : Lost Railways
Bit of a rubbish photo really, apart from the yummy mummy, this is the view from Dunnbottle lane. The bridge wall can be seen on the right hand side.
The line carries on towards Northorpe station through the new housing estate on the left.

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