To think that the film on the introduction of the original Blue Pullman featured it speeding through this line! which was a main line at the time! great video Ant!
I was lucky enough to go from Matlock to Manchester when this line was still open in the 60s. An incredible train ride. I do so hope that the line could be re-opened again. The tunnels were so exciting - particularly Dove Holes and Disley!
Excellent work Ant - although you're obviously not the first one by miles to covered Britain's most famous controversially closed, disused railway in vlog history but you have heaped tons of effort and also a balance in detail, both on track and offside. I've got all the rest of the series to follow loaded and certainly look forward to the tunnel trips. Cycled through here only about 6 weeks ago, a pity it was rather too soon for us to cross paths.
When visiting Bakewell show, first week in August 1968 a works train running on the wrong line, the uphill from Derby , took all day to travel south from Bakewell station, picking up chairs, bolts, fishplate, wedges, and other track fittings from the lifted track (the down hill to Derby). Going out of site after 5 or 6 hours.
Used to be out in the Peak District most weekends as a kid. Often stood in the pub car park gazing down at the Headstone viaduct and the beautiful scenery. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the walk, and yes, I'd love to see at least some part re-instated. As you say Bakewell is overwhelmed by traffic...it was pretty bad even back then, and would make a super-scenic journey.
Hello Ant,! We are viewers from U.S. and truly admire and love to watch your episodes.. of the beauty of rural England. So much history, and ancient engineering in tunnel and bridge construction. We marvel at how these tunnels were built. It would be nice if you could somehow explore/explain just how all those bricks were put up in the curvature of the ceilings. Thank you again for your great videos! Robert and Diane
Absolutely love the vid. It would be wonderful to see these lines open again and much praise to Derbyshire Council preventing development on the old route. Oh yea, @ 5.46 "over whose line the land had passed" 😊.
I agree, reinstating the line between Matlock and Bakewell is essential (even towards Hassop Station for its Monsal Trial visitor facilities) also the triangle at Ambergate to give the whole line better connectivity. The track between Matlock and Bakewell could be double track, one for national rail and the other for Peak Rail, otherwise Peak Rail has the opportunity to operate timetabled commercial steam / diesel services. It has to be the actual historic station in Bakewell that reopens including station building, otherwise it will be a rubbish cheap construction with no heart.
If scenary was the only determining factor, this would be a cert. for reopening as an extension to the existing heritage line from Matlock. Thank you for showing some really superb railway architecture and great archive footage. Your suggestion is a good one and there must be many who would support such a reopening. But, considerable financial and material resources would need to be mobilised to make the dream come true. It's been done elsewhere and against bigger odds. So, why not here?
Another excellent video Ant. Looking forward to part two. My opinion is the line should be reinstated. The potential benefits to the community, the economy and the environment are huge. Rails not roads.
We walked much of the Monsall Trail in 2023, really enjoyed it, took loads of photos of the viaduct, many thanks for sharing your journey and showing us the rest of it. Many thanks
Great video Ant. Familair with this route, cycled it many times. Well used and looked after. Like the idea you could train it all the way to bakewell from derby again!
Brilliant video Ant! When I used to walk the line in the 1980's the tunnels were sealed, it's good to see them unsealed. My late father was a regular user of Great Longstone station in his national service days in the early 1950's. In my opinion,this line closure was complete lunacy! They took a section of the line from Blackwell Mill to Matlock and removed it. Where is the the rationale in that? Just so glad we have archive footage to view.👍🙂
Yet again Ant another wonderful video, you know Derbyshire is a beautiful county. With all your wonderful footage, and as always superb soundtracks, which adds that lovely romance to the landscape. I am always sad with all the railways which have gone, but at least there are remnants of those magnificent days of a bye gone era.
Nice archive footage and music. . . . . If the railway were to be reopened in full, as a single track, there would still be room for a walkway/cycle track.
@@TrekkingExplorationWith respect, I personally think it will never happen, because there is neither the vision nor political will to carry it through.
@martinpawley647 I agree, noone over 60 wants a train going through their back garden Haddon Hall not letting their tunnel building predecessors down there!
Lovely video Ant. A route I travelled on as a boy and more recently cycled over as a pensioner! Should never have been closed, but would now be missed as a tourist attraction. Surely there would still be space for a single track which would be an even bigger tourism feature and would reduce the dependence on cars in the National Park?
Hi Ant, thank you for the AMAZING video The Matlock to Buxton (Monsall Trail), loved it, your choice of music gets me every time, can't wait for the next one, cheers, Pete.
My husband and I, with our daughter and her partner, did this walk, but in the opposite direction, about a month before Ant. We had already done a walk from Foolow to Monsal Head. However, we arrived at Mondal Head, having gone over the Viaduct, much earlier than expected and, rather than waiting for a long long time for the next bus into Bakewell, even though the cafe up there is wonderful, we decided to walk along the Monsal Trail to Bakewell to catch out Hulleys bus back to Chesterfield. We even arrived in Bakewell with time to spare. As Ant has just demonstrated, it is a beautiful, fascinating and friendly walk.
A lovely vid, a shame, yet a good opportunity to restart services. Imagine the train to Bakewell with a bus service to Chatsworth..... oh the heritage services that could be used... thanks Ant. Have you been on the Tissington trail? Cheers
Thank you so much for making this video. It really brightened my mood this morning. Beautiful Derbyshire in beautiful England at its best. I live about 3 miles from the Derbyshire border, so I must hasten that way soon!
Another absolutely delightful video, it’s amazing how much unspoilt countryside we still have. I really look forward to your excellent videos, keep it up.
I have cycled the Monsall Trail, but this line needs to be relaid and opened as part of the National network. Along with other improvements elsewhere, even Network Rail people would prefer this to HS2, it would be of more benefit.
Ant! I have been waiting for you to do this one, myself and husband were over last year for my father in laws memorial in Baslow, we did some of this track bed after having breakfast at Hassop ( recommend) . I am excited for the rest of this series as I use to work in great Longstone. Great work and thanks for bringing this to us ( the peak district is an amazing place)
What a fantastic walk that was. Gotta say I love all those beautiful bridges. The stonework is stupendous. Loved the look of your snack. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care
45 minute infrequent bus service. Vs much shorter journey. What the hell was beastly Barbara thinking of? Bakewell is a big town. Mind you, every year I walk from Millers Dale ( faaaab double bridge) to Bakewell. Great Longstone Station. Monsal Head viaduct Mon amour. Interesting about Haddon Hall. I thought the stations were commissioned by the Cavendish family as the stations at Hassop and Bakewell look like mini Chatsworths, very neo classical.
Well done you for referencing Barbara Castle- the real enemy of railways. I am a Labour supporter but I have to shamefully admit that the real enemies of the railways were the in-coming Labour Government. Beeching never was the real perpetrator of wiping out so many railway lines.He was given the job of justifying the closure of many railways, and he did what the then Tory Government - with the appalling Ernest Marples as Transport Minister told him to do - and try and justify as many closures as possible and we don't care how you get the figures and results. Bare in mind - Marples ran a haulage business, so no conflict of interests there! Then in came the Labour government and despite Harold Wilson' making an election promise to reverse Beeching's recommendations, this didn't happen and instead Transport Minister Barbara Castle went ahead and closed all but 2 of the railways in the report. She should have dealt with this much better. Admittedly, some had to go but she could have closed fewer lines. In a radio interview not long before she died, she at least had the good grace to say she regretted closing some of the lines and she made mistakes.
Wonderful video Ant. Very enjoyable. Look forward to the next! I’d say hello if I saw you. Tbh I’d be chuffed. All the best and hopefully bump into you soon. Regards Joe
What a lovely footpath this is now. And Ii'm interested in the cycle hire. I'd love to cycle these old railways. Aaaand any trails with a cafe is always good!
Fabulous place. Photos amazing. Beautiful scenery. Meant to say love how you show your map at the beginning. Let’s us know where you are. Music brilliant. Thank Ant. Superb.
Up until the mid 1990's the trackbed between Hassop and Bakewell was used by Hulleys buses on Bakewell show days to avoid queuing on the main road into Bakewell and also provide a park and ride facility on the show days as well
Another fantastic video !!So many railways were built in areas with stunning scenery it must have been amazing to travel along such lines .. look forward to future episodes !!
Truly wonderful video Ant and looking fwd to the next installment. Cycled.thos one in both directions and has so much to see and enjoy. Live in Devon and visit Peak Disrrict atleast once a year as there is so much to see and do. Thanks for the super production especially the drone footage and music.
Very well produced video all round Ant, from the stunning photography, vintage archive footage.. sublime musical accompaniment and your narratives.. 5 star stuff.. loving this old line and it's history, and very much looking forward to the second installment..cheers
I've been to Bakewell, and it was the friendliest place I've visited in England, I got friendly greetings from almost everyone there that day, though I don't know how many of them were local or just visiting, but it was miles better than some other places I've been to where I got nothing but endless totally unprovoked abuse from almost everyone there. And that line certainly does need reopening, but so do quite a few others like Colne to Skipton which is also largely still intact and free of developments.
Epic vid, nothing will change regarding trains to bake well cost will prevent it, also there was talks about extending the monsal trail to rowsley the money was available to do this, but, I also heard the owners of Haddon hall was holding things up, would be amazing to get through Haddon tunnel legally, at about a mile long be the longest on the trail ( like you I've walked it ) 👍
@@TrekkingExploration Alas, those Clever People who mange to wheedle their way(s) into positions "In charge" seem to disagree.........full stop; Goodnight!.
Rowsley is said as row as in the boat sl and then lee as general le and y by locals 😁 hope that may help Have a look for a book called though limestone hills very detailed book by Bill Hudson out of publication Matlock station used to be a book shop owned by him
There is a clash of interests in the future of this route. One. Tourist access. If a tramway was built on this trackbed running max 25/30 mph the foot/cycle path could be retained at its side.(as in most towns with trams). The tram being electric (battery), diesel, steam(fireless) compress air, flywheel, etc.. powered in a green way and run Buxton to Matlock. Two. Heavy trains carrying stone and back to its original purpose. Except now taking stone out of the Peak area and not coal into and burned lime out off it. The heavy stone trains would have a near full down hill run to Derby instead of via Sheffield and Chesterfield or round north Manchester to go south (check out route track profiles.) However it looses its sole status as a tourist foot/cycle route.
Travelled this line several times in the 60's as a teenager, a truely beautiful journey. Guess it was closed due to the cost of maintaining all those viaducts and tunnels and completion of WCML electrification. 😢
What an amazing stretch of trackbed. I totally agree with you on the reopening of the section you mentioned. Looking forward to seeing your next video. Thank you for your efforts and dedication
@@TrekkingExploration sorry Ant I have to disagree, a new bridge over the A6 would decimate the beautiful village of Rowsley for very little purpose. Plus the cost would take absolutely decades to recover as there wouldn't be enough custom, so it's not a viable option. The monsal trail runs from Coombs road end just under a mile south east of Bakewell right up to the Blackwell Mill end and it has hundreds of thousands of visitors to the fabulous peak district year on year out all year round. Walking, jogging, cycling, running, horse riding, climbing and absailing surely this is a more fitting use now as it has been for years. Realistically trying to reopen the monsal trail to rail traffic is nothing more than a romantic pipe dream that can't sustain the numbers that would be required to make it a reality. Yes, I would love to see a steam engine and carriages heading over the viaduct and into the headstone tunnel but I'll resign myself to knowing that it'll never happen in my lifetime.
Most Regrettable indeed! When I see the amount of hard civil engineering that went into constructing this line, I can only despair at Ms. Castle making her decision via a railway line diagram. The line is so scenic that it could also be used for filming, another source of revenue. The answer could be a mixed public transport / museum railway with upgraded Manchester trams connecting to Matlock via Buxton and Bakewell on workdays, and steam/diesel services on the museum railway (Buxton to Matlock) on designated days, when the Monsal Trail would be closed to cyclists and hikers. Otherwise the hikers could use the trail alongside the trams, because the tunnels would retain their fresh air. I don't know how often the museum railway runs, but at any rate the hikers would retain the greater access opportunity. If you want to see the exact copy of this proposal in full service, and in such similar scenic beauty that it would in tourist terms be a rival, look up the Centovalli tramline between Locarno in Switzerland and Domodossola in Italy.
Hi the ballast bins you saw we call chipping bins as they were full of chippings for the joints which would have voids due to movement and the chippings would be used to fill the voids the chippings could be used for measured shovel packing using a metal cup for the exact amount required old platelayers when I started on BR would just use experience to judge the amount required.
Cracking video as always, fantastic archive footage. I see your point about Bakewell but reopening the whole lot would not serve any major populations and destroy what is now a major tourist and leisure attraction, the Monsal Trail. I'd argue that the cycling, walking and running (esp the awesome parkrun at Hassop station on Saturdays!) that occurs on the trail provides more people with more benefits than a railway would.
How about the idea of putting down single tram tracks and running some small single carriage battery/diesel/petrol trams on them? With passing loops strategicaly placed along the route, the 'tram' could actually leave the line and go much nearer to places (Bakewell itself, for expample). I'm sure Quackers etc would beneifit too and with the the track being set into the path, the existing businesses won't be adversley affected (bike hire etc).
Hello Ant Welcome to my Area - perhaps we could met up & I could tell you a few secrets that I have found - also one thing about Bakewell Station @ 9:35 you may not realise is that just after the Station platform they have built some Units trudging on the original Track Bed - so it might be a bit difficult to continue it they wanted to 😐 @ 15:29 Have you noticed something about the Bridges - I thing some of them were originally Orange but as b/c they had many decades of Steam Engines going under them - they are now turned black with soot from the Smoke from the Locos!!! @15:50 Not quite too sure, but as b/c that Cottage so close to the M. T. & style of the Railways - it might have something to do with the Railway - I.e. Station Master House Perhaps??? 🤔 Yes @ 16:24 I think that as well - That slab of concrete (if you look closely around the edge - you will see some remains of bolts) the foundation of an old Signal Box, @18:23 oh there is plenty of Ballast to be found along the M. T. specially along the side of the 6 Tunnels, @ 19:00 Ballast Bins - there is 1 or 2 of them as well!!! @ 22:26 That 2nd Building " like a Castle" is a 2nd Station for the Duke - I can tell you more if we ever meet up!!! Thanks for showing the old B / W photos / footage of the M. T. Back in the day 😉 I hope that I haven't wrote to much here!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂
Not the only route where that happened. A land owner in Andoversford insisted the line to Cheltenham went through a cutting on his land so it was not visible from his house. The owner of SuperDry lives in it 150 years on.
I love that beautiful area, but haven't been able to visit it for many years (I now live 12,000 miles away). It would be a crime if that line is not rebuilt. As a tourist route it would be priceless, and certainly would be a better way of accessing Buxton than by road - even on my last visit decades ago, there was far too much traffic.
Bakewell definitly needs a station. The traffic is horriffic. I avoid the place as much as possile but weather a station would take some of the road traffic away or just bring in even more tourists who wouldn't have come by car anyway I'm not sure. A lot of foreign tourists visiting the UK would probably visit if it was accessible by rail. It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.
Well don't come to Bakewell then, if you need a railway line and get there it isn't going to make things better because the station is at the top of a steep hill and ill suited for a lot of casual day trippers, let alone the 200,000 people per year who use the Monsal Trail including disabled, cyclists, and walkers.
When the rusting steel doors persisted, used to go for regular weekly strolls along to find fresh vehicle tyre treads in the mud the open side of, so what had full access to the tracked and key method through same 'doors'? Word was mil/emergency services retained the right to access but this was a weekly event.
Hi, a great video. I really think they should turn some of these tracks should be turned back into railways but by todays standards I don't think that will happen but you never know.
Very shortsighted closure. At the very least they should have made bakewell the terminus not matlock. The whole route would earn decent returns now I bet, as a scenic journey like the settle and Carlisle, and likely busier as its more centrally located. And also a more direct route south for the quarry traffic.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Absolutely mad closure of a key railway link. I'm very familiar with this lovely area. Such beautiful countryside too.
As always another great lost railway walk and well narrated
Very kind Christine thank you very much
I have walked on this trail many times in the early seventies madam!
@christophermarkwart1267 Much love Christopher ❤
To think that the film on the introduction of the original Blue Pullman featured it speeding through this line! which was a main line at the time! great video Ant!
I was lucky enough to go from Matlock to Manchester when this line was still open in the 60s. An incredible train ride. I do so hope that the line could be re-opened again. The tunnels were so exciting - particularly Dove Holes and Disley!
Was that on The Blue Pullman .?
Excellent work Ant - although you're obviously not the first one by miles to covered Britain's most famous controversially closed, disused railway in vlog history but you have heaped tons of effort and also a balance in detail, both on track and offside.
I've got all the rest of the series to follow loaded and certainly look forward to the tunnel trips.
Cycled through here only about 6 weeks ago, a pity it was rather too soon for us to cross paths.
When visiting Bakewell show, first week in August 1968 a works train running on the wrong line, the uphill from Derby , took all day to travel south from Bakewell station, picking up chairs, bolts, fishplate, wedges, and other track fittings from the lifted track (the down hill to Derby). Going out of site after 5 or 6 hours.
Used to be out in the Peak District most weekends as a kid. Often stood in the pub car park gazing down at the Headstone viaduct and the beautiful scenery. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the walk, and yes, I'd love to see at least some part re-instated. As you say Bakewell is overwhelmed by traffic...it was pretty bad even back then, and would make a super-scenic journey.
Hello Ant,!
We are viewers from U.S. and truly admire and love to watch your episodes.. of the beauty of rural England. So much history, and ancient engineering in tunnel and bridge construction.
We marvel at how these tunnels were built. It would be nice if you could somehow explore/explain just how all those bricks were put up in the curvature of the ceilings.
Thank you again for your great videos!
Robert and Diane
Absolutely love the vid. It would be wonderful to see these lines open again and much praise to Derbyshire Council preventing development on the old route. Oh yea, @ 5.46 "over whose line the land had passed" 😊.
Thanks!
Very kind thank you ☺️
Beautiful line/trail. Love the green British country side . Nicely done!
Very kind thank you ☺️
I agree, reinstating the line between Matlock and Bakewell is essential (even towards Hassop Station for its Monsal Trial visitor facilities) also the triangle at Ambergate to give the whole line better connectivity. The track between Matlock and Bakewell could be double track, one for national rail and the other for Peak Rail, otherwise Peak Rail has the opportunity to operate timetabled commercial steam / diesel services. It has to be the actual historic station in Bakewell that reopens including station building, otherwise it will be a rubbish cheap construction with no heart.
That's a nice walk Ant, especially as I've been in Bakewell this year in my vacation. Really wonderful railway history in UK.
If scenary was the only determining factor, this would be a cert. for reopening as an extension to the existing heritage line from Matlock. Thank you for showing some really superb railway architecture and great archive footage. Your suggestion is a good one and there must be many who would support such a reopening. But, considerable financial and material resources would need to be mobilised to make the dream come true. It's been done elsewhere and against bigger odds. So, why not here?
I do and am absolutely sure many many enjoy your posts and descriptive you feel like you're having a walk with a friend who knows the area
Another excellent video Ant. Looking forward to part two. My opinion is the line should be reinstated. The potential benefits to the community, the economy and the environment are huge. Rails not roads.
Great video Ant. Not only would this line be good to be open again for passenger but also for freight to serve to Peak Quarries.
We walked much of the Monsall Trail in 2023, really enjoyed it, took loads of photos of the viaduct, many thanks for sharing your journey and showing us the rest of it. Many thanks
Great video Ant. Familair with this route, cycled it many times. Well used and looked after. Like the idea you could train it all the way to bakewell from derby again!
It would be lovely wouldn't it? A compromise without losing the trail but making it all more accessible
Beautiful part of Derbyshire,been many times but never walked the Monsall trail.Thanks Ant.😂
Fantastic film👍
Brilliant video Ant!
When I used to walk the line in the 1980's the tunnels were sealed, it's good to see them unsealed.
My late father was a regular user of Great Longstone station in his national service days in the early 1950's.
In my opinion,this line closure was complete lunacy!
They took a section of the line from Blackwell Mill to Matlock and removed it.
Where is the the rationale in that?
Just so glad we have archive footage to view.👍🙂
It's definitely an odd one I didn't even realise it wasn't on the Beeching report until I did this. Thank you for watching
Thanks
Very kind thank you 🙂
Hi there. had a great day around bakewell last year whilst at Chatsworth saw the station as we left the town. thanks for doing this film caroline
Yet again Ant another wonderful video, you know Derbyshire is a beautiful county. With all your wonderful footage, and as always superb soundtracks, which adds that lovely romance to the landscape. I am always sad with all the railways which have gone, but at least there are remnants of those magnificent days of a bye gone era.
I recall in the railway magazines in the 70s 80s adverts to donate to re-open this line
Cool! The refreshments look good. 🫡✌️
Nice archive footage and music. . . . .
If the railway were to be reopened in full, as a single track, there would still be room for a walkway/cycle track.
Thanks Tom. I agree. In Part 2 I'll talk about trackback sharing a little more
@@TrekkingExplorationWith respect, I personally think it will never happen, because there is neither the vision nor political will to carry it through.
@@martinpawley647 I very much doubt it too. It's nice to reflect on what it was or could have been.
@martinpawley647 I agree, noone over 60 wants a train going through their back garden Haddon Hall not letting their tunnel building predecessors down there!
@@lesleycrosby6260 If ever it were to reopen, which I doubt, Haddon Tunnel would almost certainly be decapitated.
A simply brilliant video, I’ve walked the Monsal trail, it’s stunning, oh I do hope it reopens. It’s about time you came back to Suffolk.
Lovely video Ant. A route I travelled on as a boy and more recently cycled over as a pensioner! Should never have been closed, but would now be missed as a tourist attraction. Surely there would still be space for a single track which would be an even bigger tourism feature and would reduce the dependence on cars in the National Park?
Fantastic video Ant. I have walked the old line many times love the views. It would be great to the the line reopen.
Hi Ant, thank you for the AMAZING video The Matlock to Buxton (Monsall Trail), loved it, your choice of music gets me every time, can't wait for the next one, cheers, Pete.
I'm pleased you enjoyed it Pete thanks very much indeed. I put a rather upbeat soundtrack to this one for a change
My husband and I, with our daughter and her partner, did this walk, but in the opposite direction, about a month before Ant. We had already done a walk from Foolow to Monsal Head. However, we arrived at Mondal Head, having gone over the Viaduct, much earlier than expected and, rather than waiting for a long long time for the next bus into Bakewell, even though the cafe up there is wonderful, we decided to walk along the Monsal Trail to Bakewell to catch out Hulleys bus back to Chesterfield. We even arrived in Bakewell with time to spare. As Ant has just demonstrated, it is a beautiful, fascinating and friendly walk.
A lovely vid, a shame, yet a good opportunity to restart services. Imagine the train to Bakewell with a bus service to Chatsworth..... oh the heritage services that could be used... thanks Ant. Have you been on the Tissington trail? Cheers
Thank you so much for making this video. It really brightened my mood this morning. Beautiful Derbyshire in beautiful England at its best. I live about 3 miles from the Derbyshire border, so I must hasten that way soon!
Another good video (and music) Ant. What kind of clout did Mrs Boardman have then? 5:45 lol, that one slipped through the old quality control net.
Beautiful job again, thanks.
Thanks very much Jon 😁
Hi Ant great video! Let's hope they reinstate it one day!!?? Cheers 🥂
Another absolutely delightful video, it’s amazing how much unspoilt countryside we still have. I really look forward to your excellent videos, keep it up.
An excellent video on this great old line.
That is one of my favourite walks.👍
It's lovely isn't it? Thank you for watching
I have cycled the Monsall Trail, but this line needs to be relaid and opened as part of the National network. Along with other improvements elsewhere, even Network Rail people would prefer this to HS2, it would be of more benefit.
Love the work you are doing. I one day hope to visit the UK and see all of these wonderful trails and rails. keep up the good work.
Walked it many times fantastic as always top man keep pulling them out of the hat 🚂🚂👍
Another excellent production. Well done sir.👍
Very kind thank you 😊
We really enjoyed this, Ant. Looking forward to the next part. Thank you.
Thanks to you both 😌
Wonderful video as usual, thank you
Thanks very much for watching
Good morning fantastic video so very interesting and enjoyable to watch great on your part for the research looking forward to the next one already 😊
Ant! I have been waiting for you to do this one, myself and husband were over last year for my father in laws memorial in Baslow, we did some of this track bed after having breakfast at Hassop ( recommend) . I am excited for the rest of this series as I use to work in great Longstone.
Great work and thanks for bringing this to us ( the peak district is an amazing place)
Lovely video again Ant. Very nice music as well. I remember your post on Facebook and the comment from Val 😉😉
What a fantastic walk that was. Gotta say I love all those beautiful bridges. The stonework is stupendous. Loved the look of your snack. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care
Fantastic video thanks for talking us on this walk with u look forward to next part 👍🙂
45 minute infrequent bus service. Vs much shorter journey. What the hell was beastly Barbara thinking of? Bakewell is a big town. Mind you, every year I walk from Millers Dale ( faaaab double bridge) to Bakewell. Great Longstone Station. Monsal Head viaduct Mon amour. Interesting about Haddon Hall. I thought the stations were commissioned by the Cavendish family as the stations at Hassop and Bakewell look like mini Chatsworths, very neo classical.
Well done you for referencing Barbara Castle- the real enemy of railways. I am a Labour supporter but I have to shamefully admit that the real enemies of the railways were the in-coming Labour Government. Beeching never was the real perpetrator of wiping out so many railway lines.He was given the job of justifying the closure of many railways, and he did what the then Tory Government - with the appalling Ernest Marples as Transport Minister told him to do - and try and justify as many closures as possible and we don't care how you get the figures and results. Bare in mind - Marples ran a haulage business, so no conflict of interests there! Then in came the Labour government and despite Harold Wilson' making an election promise to reverse Beeching's recommendations, this didn't happen and instead Transport Minister Barbara Castle went ahead and closed all but 2 of the railways in the report. She should have dealt with this much better. Admittedly, some had to go but she could have closed fewer lines. In a radio interview not long before she died, she at least had the good grace to say she regretted closing some of the lines and she made mistakes.
You,can clearly see the “pusher” engines in some of the original videos you added to this great post.
The Midland always built substantial bridges and stations! Saint Pancras being their majestic edifice !🧐
Ant, another great video and back into the East Midlands showing old lines I am familiar with.
Walked and cycled it many times on holiday. One of the best 'old' lines in the country. great video as always Ant, cant wait for the next instalment
Great documentation of this abandoned railroad line
Wonderful video Ant. Very enjoyable. Look forward to the next!
I’d say hello if I saw you. Tbh I’d be chuffed. All the best and hopefully bump into you soon. Regards Joe
Beautiful video ❤
What a lovely footpath this is now. And Ii'm interested in the cycle hire. I'd love to cycle these old railways. Aaaand any trails with a cafe is always good!
Fabulous place. Photos amazing. Beautiful scenery. Meant to say love how you show your map at the beginning. Let’s us know where you are. Music brilliant. Thank Ant. Superb.
Up until the mid 1990's the trackbed between Hassop and Bakewell was used by Hulleys buses on Bakewell show days to avoid queuing on the main road into Bakewell and also provide a park and ride facility on the show days as well
Oh i didn't know that. Very interesting
Brilliant work as always!❤👏
The start of another wonderful walk and some great archive footage.
It's a lovely little route. Part 2 is almost complete
Another fantastic video !!So many railways were built in areas with stunning scenery it must have been amazing to travel along such lines .. look forward to future episodes !!
What a wonderful journey Ant, looking forward to the next episode...
Quality top man 👍😂
Great stuff again Ant. Thanks for producing and sharing, cheers.
Truly wonderful video Ant and looking fwd to the next installment. Cycled.thos one in both directions and has so much to see and enjoy. Live in Devon and visit Peak Disrrict atleast once a year as there is so much to see and do. Thanks for the super production especially the drone footage and music.
A lovely interesting video Ant, as a "summer resident" of this area, and a rail enthusiast too, I'm looking forward to the next part.
Very well produced video all round Ant, from the stunning photography, vintage archive footage.. sublime musical accompaniment and your narratives.. 5 star stuff.. loving this old line and it's history, and very much looking forward to the second installment..cheers
I've been to Bakewell, and it was the friendliest place I've visited in England, I got friendly greetings from almost everyone there that day, though I don't know how many of them were local or just visiting, but it was miles better than some other places I've been to where I got nothing but endless totally unprovoked abuse from almost everyone there. And that line certainly does need reopening, but so do quite a few others like Colne to Skipton which is also largely still intact and free of developments.
Many thanks Ant, beautiful area and fascinating history. Take care.
Another great production Ant. Many thanks for making and sharing.
Epic vid, nothing will change regarding trains to bake well cost will prevent it, also there was talks about extending the monsal trail to rowsley the money was available to do this, but, I also heard the owners of Haddon hall was holding things up, would be amazing to get through Haddon tunnel legally, at about a mile long be the longest on the trail ( like you I've walked it ) 👍
It should be fully reopened as it is needed
Looking forward to this series! 😀
Thanks mate. Great video.
Severely needed these old branch lines. Flat fare cheap get the cars off the road .
Absolutely I agree. Thank you for watching
@@TrekkingExploration Alas, those Clever People who mange to wheedle their way(s) into positions "In charge" seem to disagree.........full stop; Goodnight!.
What is now a trail, was once upon a time a main line through to Manchester, and never a branch line.
What is now a trail, was once upon a time a main line through to Manchester via Peak forest. It was never a branch line.
Ant, those steps at 12:56 remind me a little bit of the steps from the "vintage" movie
A Taste of Honey...
From an Ariel Photograph that you shown, it look's like Bakewell Union Workhouse is still standing .....
great video ant what a shame we can't see the rail track as it was i hope in my lifetime we my see this happen
Love the old stations...shame😢
Rowsley is said as row as in the boat sl and then lee as general le and y by locals 😁 hope that may help
Have a look for a book called though limestone hills very detailed book by Bill Hudson out of publication Matlock station used to be a book shop owned by him
Done the park run on here several times. Familiar surroundings.
There is a clash of interests in the future of this route. One. Tourist access. If a tramway was built on this trackbed running max 25/30 mph the foot/cycle path could be retained at its side.(as in most towns with trams). The tram being electric (battery), diesel, steam(fireless) compress air, flywheel, etc.. powered in a green way and run Buxton to Matlock. Two. Heavy trains carrying stone and back to its original purpose. Except now taking stone out of the Peak area and not coal into and burned lime out off it. The heavy stone trains would have a near full down hill run to Derby instead of via Sheffield and Chesterfield or round north Manchester to go south (check out route track profiles.) However it looses its sole status as a tourist foot/cycle route.
Travelled this line several times in the 60's as a teenager, a truely beautiful journey. Guess it was closed due to the cost of maintaining all those viaducts and tunnels and completion of WCML electrification. 😢
What an amazing stretch of trackbed. I totally agree with you on the reopening of the section you mentioned. Looking forward to seeing your next video. Thank you for your efforts and dedication
Very kind Ray thank you. I do feel the Matlock to Bakewell section would be a great benefit
@@TrekkingExploration sorry Ant I have to disagree, a new bridge over the A6 would decimate the beautiful village of Rowsley for very little purpose. Plus the cost would take absolutely decades to recover as there wouldn't be enough custom, so it's not a viable option.
The monsal trail runs from Coombs road end just under a mile south east of Bakewell right up to the Blackwell Mill end and it has hundreds of thousands of visitors to the fabulous peak district year on year out all year round. Walking, jogging, cycling, running, horse riding, climbing and absailing surely this is a more fitting use now as it has been for years.
Realistically trying to reopen the monsal trail to rail traffic is nothing more than a romantic pipe dream that can't sustain the numbers that would be required to make it a reality.
Yes, I would love to see a steam engine and carriages heading over the viaduct and into the headstone tunnel but I'll resign myself to knowing that it'll never happen in my lifetime.
Most Regrettable indeed! When I see the amount of hard civil engineering that went into constructing this line, I can only despair at Ms. Castle making her decision via a railway line diagram. The line is so scenic that it could also be used for filming, another source of revenue. The answer could be a mixed public transport / museum railway with upgraded Manchester trams connecting to Matlock via Buxton and Bakewell on workdays, and steam/diesel services on the museum railway (Buxton to Matlock) on designated days, when the Monsal Trail would be closed to cyclists and hikers. Otherwise the hikers could use the trail alongside the trams, because the tunnels would retain their fresh air. I don't know how often the museum railway runs, but at any rate the hikers would retain the greater access opportunity.
If you want to see the exact copy of this proposal in full service, and in such similar scenic beauty that it would in tourist terms be a rival, look up the Centovalli tramline between Locarno in Switzerland and Domodossola in Italy.
Hi the ballast bins you saw we call chipping bins as they were full of chippings for the joints which would have voids due to movement and the chippings would be used to fill the voids the chippings could be used for measured shovel packing using a metal cup for the exact amount required old platelayers when I started on BR would just use experience to judge the amount required.
Cracking video as always, fantastic archive footage. I see your point about Bakewell but reopening the whole lot would not serve any major populations and destroy what is now a major tourist and leisure attraction, the Monsal Trail. I'd argue that the cycling, walking and running (esp the awesome parkrun at Hassop station on Saturdays!) that occurs on the trail provides more people with more benefits than a railway would.
Certainly hope none of monsal Trail is lost. My favourite cycling route
How about the idea of putting down single tram tracks and running some small single carriage battery/diesel/petrol trams on them? With passing loops strategicaly placed along the route, the 'tram' could actually leave the line and go much nearer to places (Bakewell itself, for expample). I'm sure Quackers etc would beneifit too and with the the track being set into the path, the existing businesses won't be adversley affected (bike hire etc).
Hello Ant Welcome to my Area - perhaps we could met up & I could tell you a few secrets that I have found - also one thing about Bakewell Station @ 9:35 you may not realise is that just after the Station platform they have built some Units trudging on the original Track Bed - so it might be a bit difficult to continue it they wanted to 😐 @ 15:29 Have you noticed something about the Bridges - I thing some of them were originally Orange but as b/c they had many decades of Steam Engines going under them - they are now turned black with soot from the Smoke from the Locos!!! @15:50 Not quite too sure, but as b/c that Cottage so close to the M. T. & style of the Railways - it might have something to do with the Railway - I.e. Station Master House Perhaps??? 🤔 Yes @ 16:24 I think that as well - That slab of concrete (if you look closely around the edge - you will see some remains of bolts) the foundation of an old Signal Box, @18:23 oh there is plenty of Ballast to be found along the M. T. specially along the side of the 6 Tunnels, @ 19:00 Ballast Bins - there is 1 or 2 of them as well!!! @ 22:26 That 2nd Building " like a Castle" is a 2nd Station for the Duke - I can tell you more if we ever meet up!!! Thanks for showing the old B / W photos / footage of the M. T. Back in the day 😉 I hope that I haven't wrote to much here!!! 🤔🚂🚂🚂
I read somewhere that the then Duke of Devonshire insisted the railway was buried going through his land, resulting in Haddon tunnel
Yes that's correct he thought it would be a blot on his view
I think it was actually the Duke of Rutland, as he owns Haddon Hall.
Rutland - correct 😊
Not the only route where that happened. A land owner in Andoversford insisted the line to Cheltenham went through a cutting on his land so it was not visible from his house. The owner of SuperDry lives in it 150 years on.
I love that beautiful area, but haven't been able to visit it for many years (I now live 12,000 miles away). It would be a crime if that line is not rebuilt. As a tourist route it would be priceless, and certainly would be a better way of accessing Buxton than by road - even on my last visit decades ago, there was far too much traffic.
They have this route in train sim world, one of my favourites
It is a lovely route. Thanks for watching
Bakewell definitly needs a station. The traffic is horriffic. I avoid the place as much as possile but weather a station would take some of the road traffic away or just bring in even more tourists who wouldn't have come by car anyway I'm not sure. A lot of foreign tourists visiting the UK would probably visit if it was accessible by rail. It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.
It's a nightmare isn't it? We tend to stay away from Bakewell now. It even spoils the open top Peak Sightseer bus
Thank you for watching
Well don't come to Bakewell then, if you need a railway line and get there it isn't going to make things better because the station is at the top of a steep hill and ill suited for a lot of casual day trippers, let alone the 200,000 people per year who use the Monsal Trail including disabled, cyclists, and walkers.
@@stevebarnett5048 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
When the rusting steel doors persisted, used to go for regular weekly strolls along to find fresh vehicle tyre treads in the mud the open side of, so what had full access to the tracked and key method through same 'doors'? Word was mil/emergency services retained the right to access but this was a weekly event.
Hi, a great video. I really think they should turn some of these tracks should be turned back into railways but by todays standards I don't think that will happen but you never know.
Very shortsighted closure. At the very least they should have made bakewell the terminus not matlock. The whole route would earn decent returns now I bet, as a scenic journey like the settle and Carlisle, and likely busier as its more centrally located. And also a more direct route south for the quarry traffic.