The railway line from Bolton Great Moor Street to Eccles.
Version 1 Added September 10th 2006
This is a fascinating route which we have covered, in parts, throughout the last 2 years. We recently completed the final part of this line, so here is the complete route.
Enjoy the route.
Jon and Dunc
We start the route in the centre
of Bolton. |
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The line ran through this point (it was elevated)
to Great Moor station. The site of the station was the fun pool at Bolton,
however this has now been demolished and the land (when we looked) was
just left as waste ground. |
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Left - Here the railway ran under Fletcher street on its way to Great Moor station. Below Left - Looking out across Bolton town centre from Fletcher street. The line headed towards the semi circular roof (near the church spire). This was the near Great Moor street station. - Long since demolished. Below - The light is getting poor on this picture, but we are looking back up to Fletcher street. Its hard to imagine there was a railway here. Nothing is left from this point onwards. |
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All 3 pictures - Not the best, but we are looking
down the old alignment of the railway just near Shaw street. Hard to believe
the line ran through here. Now its just an cutting strewn with peoples
rubbish. |
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Left - The bridge again on Clarendon street. Below Left - Between the roads - this area has long since been filled in. The line would have emerged here for a short period, before disappearing under Shaw street. Below - Looking back towards Clarendon street and the Park off Lever Street. |
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The old BR bridge numbers. |
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The line here was in a deep cutting, then a tunnel.
Around this location the line split in 2. We are following the line towards
Eccles. The other line round down through Duabhill, on its way to Kenyon
Junction. |
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We are looking at the park where we believe the line
used to run under. From research and help / advice from Nick Melling,
we have discovered that the line ran under this park and then joined up
with the other line that ran from Bolton Great Moor street through Daubhill.
Part of this other route can beeen seen here. |
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Lever Street - Looking back up where the line used
to run. Not much to see today. |
Left - Looking back towards Lever street. The line here has been convereted in a cycle/path way. Below left - Working our way to Bolton Hospital. Below - Heading towards the hospital. It looks like a bridge or embankment was once situated here. |
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Looking back down the route towards Bolton. |
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Back on the old aligmnet - note the line of the trees
and the bits of old ballast. |
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Looking back towards Bolton. The railway used to cross
Minerva road at this point. You can see the old raised alignment through
the trees. |
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The embankment starts again here. We have our back
to the site of the Plodder lane sheds. The site is long built over with
a big housing estate. You can roughly follow the route through a pathway
that runs through the estate. |
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We think this is the only remains that are left of
the old sheds at Plodder lane- a curved retaining boundary wall. |
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Threading our way through the estate, which stands
on the site of the Plodder Lane sheds. |
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Plodder Lane - Here we are looking back at the site
of the sheds, on what we think is the old alignmnet. |
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Down on the alignment between Highfield road and Plodder
lane. |
On Highfield road looking down the route towards Bolton. |
From Highfield road, looking back towards the M61.
The steepness of this path indicates the line ran under this road. |
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Looking along the route towards the M61. |
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Left - Following the alignment looking towards the M61. Note some old masonary and the use of the old sleepers. Below Left - Looknig back towards Bolton. We presume a bridge was loacted here. Below - The alignment looking towards the M61. Here we had to make a quick divert to cross the motorway. |
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Looking back down the alignment at this point. Note
the old concrete fence posts. |
We are now back on the line, but on the other side
of the M61. |
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Working our way along the route, it still runs between
the housing estate and is now converted in to a cycle / path way. Here
we are looking back to the M61. |
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Left - Heading towards Cleggs lane. Below Left - Cleggs lane. Below - Headings towards Walkden. |
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Heading towards Little Hulton. |
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Left - The site of Little Hulton station. Below Left - A close up of the station marker sign. Below - A closer shot of the bridge that takes Manchester raod east over the line. Notice the extra support that has been added. |
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The other side of the Manchester road east bridge. |
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Here Hilton lane crosses over the line. Notice the
obligatory shopping trolley! |
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Working our way towards Walkden. |
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Left - Here the line is crossed by Tynesbank. We dont know if a bridge used to be here, however today the road takes priority. This picture shows the approach to the road. Below Left - Here Tynesbank crosses the line. Below - Looking back up to Tynesbank from the other side. |
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Working our way down the route as the line runs through
to Walkden. |
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Below - Here the present railway runs over the old line. | Below - Another shot of the bridge that takes the
railway over the old line. |
The site of Walkden Low Level station. |
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This is the bridge that carries Walkden road over the old line. We continued down the route towards Roe Green junction.
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A close up of the bridge, note the helpful road marker and route signs. |
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Looking down the line towards Roe Green junction. |
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Here the line goes under the busy East Lancs road. We noticed that each of the bridges are marked with the road details and most have access (via steps) to the road.
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Looking back where we had just come from.
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Here we are heading towards the M62. |
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Roe Green junction. The once busy railway junction. Left - heading in to Roe Green junction. Below Left - The line spurs off to Ellenbrook, we didn't take that route, but we do plan to cover it soon. Below - A shot of Roe Junction looking back through to Walkden. |
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Here the line goes under the M62. Quite a big structure for a pathway! Maybe they had more plans for these route. In fact there was a news story about converting this route in to a guided busway to Leigh. I've not heard anything about this for a while. Maybe somebody could give us an update. Note the smaller bridge before the motorway, here a path crossed the line. |
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This was taken from the footbridge looking up towards
the motorway. As drivers speed by, I bet they didn't know this route existed
below them. |
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We are now heading towards Monton. Here the route follows Greenleach lane, however as you can see were were in a cutting, surrounded by trees. We did notice quite a few access points around this section from the road. |
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Going under Worsley road (A572) - again there was
good access as this point. |
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The view up where we had came. As we headed towards Monton the route was on a slight incline. Looking back up, in the picture, you can see slight gradient. Note how the trees are thining and the route is becoming a little more open. |
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Left - The site of the Worsley Station. As you can see parts of the platform are still visable. Bottom Left and Bottom - Getting closer to Monton, you start to cut across Broadoak park and Worlsey Golf club. The route here is slightly raised up, and you can get the odd glimpses of the view (through the trees) |
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Monton Left - One of the signs along the route. I think both of these should be facing the same direction though! Bottom Left - Here the old railway line stops, long built over. However our ride continues. Bottom - Looking back where we came. |
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Here we worked our way along Algernon street - the
aim was to find the old line back up to Pendlebury and Clifton |
Looking back down the same street. |
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A bit of old railway heritage - the old bridge abutments
at the bottom of Lansdown road. |
The same old bridge - just another angle. |
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That completed the route from Bolton (Great Moor St) to Eccles. A great route to follow, with a lot left to see.
Thanks Jon and Dunc.