I grew up in Haddenham. It's lovely to see the pictures of the old station. Such atmosphere and history in a simple black and white photograph. Thank you for making this film.
Thankyou :) And I must say; I've never really been a classical music listener ever, but, the combo' of your film with RVWs' music I'm finding sublime! Both hark back to the same lost era I guess? I find the blend both evocative and emotive, Good Work! :)
I have often driven through all of the places on the route of this railway, without realising it ever existed. The small villages are lovely, and the church tower of St Andrew's at Sutton is a sight to behold from across the flat fenland landscape. You have inspired me to slow down in future to look out for some of these remaining relics, particularly those fine bridge piers near Haddenham.
That's very kind of you to say so. It was a lovely day's filming. May I encourage you to see my other films in the series and to subscribe if you've not already done so?
Brilliant! Thanks so much for making this video. My gt grandmother’s family lived at Wilburton station, where they worked, as well as working on Haddenham station too.
I'm glad it was worth the wait and I'm delighted to learn of a personal connection to this line. I can imagine that there could've been worse places to work than those stations - fascinating bit of history that has gone but not been forgotten!
I'm sure that Ernest Marples had nothing but good intentions as the owner of the UK's biggest Road Building Company when he gave instructions to Doctor Beeching on saving the railways.
Wonderful nostalgic film. What a shame there is so little left of the line. Again, your video has brought the line back to life. The photographs are very useful.
Thank you. This was made in summer 2018 and it was a fine day for it. You must've seen nearly all my films now. Have you looked at my Lynton and Barnstaple film which I made during the same summer?
Looks as if you had a nice spell of Weather for this rediscovery. As ever I find your Films are a delight, good old RVW, and echoing the moods of the British Countryside it fits in beautifully to the visual Narrative of the Film doesn't it. Thank you.
Love these films and the music draws you in...... Suddenly I've spent the whole day reliving the magic of them all..... How many of these films have been made as I don't want to miss any and is there on from Market Harborough to Northampton or Hertford to Welwyn Garden City to Leighton Buzzard...... Keep up the great work x Kings Lynn to Hunstanton
Please subscribe to my channel and explore it all. Not sure how many I've made - quite a lot - and you're in luck as my latest one will be out today at 1230! So go to my channel and have a look at them all. I look forward to your subscription and will endeavour to explore those suggested lines.
The light industrial site shown at 9.44 is actually the old railway sidings and is called the "Sidings Industrial Estate" I've lived in St Ives for over forty years and it's taken me most of that time to work out where all the different railway lines went to. There are still bits of old buildings and bridges everywhere. It must have been quite a busy hub back in the day. All we have left now is the guided bus that runs along the old St Ives to Cambridge rail track route.
Many of these stations were of pleasing architecture, so it's a shame more of them haven't been preserved. I suppose that's progress. Still, it must be a thrill to find bits and pieces that are undisturbed. I love the English countryside, and I'm fascinated by some of the village names.
I agree - I imagine it would've made a delightful heritage line, if preserved. Do watch my March - Spalding film if you are interested in unusual place names!
Absolutely amazing so pleased to see something on the Hitchin to Bedford line . As my family come from the Shefford ,Clifton and RAF Henlow Camp this is of great interest . I can vaguely remember the level crossing at Henlow camp and the odd steam train as a youngster. And also a train passing on the bridge at Shefford on its way to Bedford . I often wondered about the lines history over the years . It would of been great to have kept it open between Hitchin and Bedford . But this little insite into the history of this line was really well put together and presented well . Made my day.
Thank you for kind remarks about my film. Moreover thank you for sharing your memories of this line...though you left your lovely comment on my Ely to St Ives film...I'll still take the compliment!
Iam so sorry I've probably, got caught up in the moment . Thanks so much anyway I will try and show your excellent work to my folks who are from the Hitchin and Shefford areas and now in there late 80,s . Maybe they have some stories about the line. But many thanks.
Yet another fine piece of work under vast fenland skies, RVW as appropriate as ever. Bravo once more! How about the Bury St Edmunds to Thetford line one day, it seems to rather undocumented and may merit your detective skills. I suspect some of its rusty remains may once have been shown in a Dad's Army episode!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this one. It was a beautiful day when I made this back in August, one that really presented the Fens at their best. Indeed I have looked at that line and it is a long term ambition. My next film will be out in December - in the mean time I'm working on my biggest project yet...more to follow!
Another great video, I knew the railway went there but only seen a few of the old buildings and never knew the exact route. As the crow flies ely is not that far from me...
I had the pleasure of living in Ely for a couple of years, so travelling back here to make this film was a delight and the weather was just perfect. Very glad you enjoyed this film.
Yes I've already filmed two more - the next one will be released in December and the second will be in February. This is giving me time to work on what will be my biggest project to date, which I'll be able to release at about Easter time...I know there's quite a gap between uploads, but I hope they're worth the wait!
Great Vid! If you walk from where the old St.Ives Station used to be, in reverse of the route followed here, and follow the track route behind the first set of buildings, which are commercial, there are still railway sleepers in the ground there. It's on the first curve away from where the guided bus way pick up point is.
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Did you notice the St Ives station building is still there! Also, hidden in the roadside vegetation at Erith, the remains of the bridge over the Great River Ouse opposite the marina.
I have been looking at old ordnance survey maps from 1900,s the amount of track laid down is amazing, goods sidings and manufactures with their own sidings, gas work sidings and a lot of the track beds are know housing estates .
It is remarkable how even minor rural routes such as this were given extraordinary levels of infrastructure. A complete contrast from today, where construction offers the bare minimum!
Dambuster that'll be because the railways were the only means of transporting goods over long distances at the time. In some place like Ramsey , Cambridgeshire, you had 2 railway companies opened lines - the GNR came from the west off the ECML and GER from the east, and each had their oewn station and goods yard.
Odd how many of its stations have similar names to others. Stretham & Stre(a)tham in S London, Earith and Erith in Kent and St Ives and the other one in Cornwall. Must have been a booking clerk's nightmare.
Just a thought...why not consider doing an introduction of how you yourself go about creating the rediscovery series of video`s? Perhaps something you may consider in the future episodes.
l used to work at the factory that now occupies the station sight at Haddenham ( 1983 ,Anson Packaging ,it was then . ) The old station house shown in the photo was their offices( stood alone then ) . Stretham station stood there many years as was shown in the photo at the beginning . But a few years back it was refurbished and modernised and so lost at lot of that old Station look . l can't remember if the Canopy was kept ? l think not ! Edit - yes according to this video ! Also l notice the old station house at Haddenham has had an extension and the factory looks much bigger !
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Another memory is that area between Stretham station and Wilburton station and then to Haddenham Station - all along that valley ( bordered by Witchford in the north ) in which the railway used to run , all used to be orchards at one time . Fruit trees everywhere for miles and miles ! Up until the mid eighties when then were all ripped up! Mainly apple trees. l remember them being quite a sight and smell in the spring when they were all in blossom !! All ripped out due to cheap French apples ! Sadly all you see now is wheat fields.
7:39 You don't learn! "Just under a mile later...." should be "just under a mile FURTHER...." Mile refers to distance, later refers to time and the two don't go together. As would be said, "half an hour later", not "half an hour further".
Sir - I have learned - you told me yesterday and it is something I will change with future films. I would ask *you* to learn something now: I cannot retrospectively amend this error on my past films. I suggest that either you accept this, or stop watching my films, lest you encounter errors of a similar kind. It is one thing to teach a lesson - but jeering from the sidelines is unbecoming, if not altogether embarrassing.
@@RediscoveringLostRailways If you have the raw footage, you can re-edit the video with the corrected captioning added. It can be done. Timsvideochannel1 very recently re-uploaded a video of his Welsh Highland Railways video with corrected captions after someone(not me) spotted a spelling mistake in the original upload.
I grew up in Haddenham. It's lovely to see the pictures of the old station. Such atmosphere and history in a simple black and white photograph. Thank you for making this film.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed the film!
What more could one ask for. Railways, British countryside on a sunny day and music by Vaughn-Williams. That's a win-win in my book.
It was a beautiful day's filming and RVW's music was surely composed with lost railways in mind!
Thankyou :) And I must say; I've never really been a classical music listener ever, but, the combo' of your film with RVWs' music I'm finding sublime! Both hark back to the same lost era I guess? I find the blend both evocative and emotive, Good Work! :)
Thank you. That's really why I chose the music, for precisely the reasons you've expressed. Very glad you enjoyed the film.
@Bernie Wright Good! It is here to stay! Thanks for your comment.
I have often driven through all of the places on the route of this railway, without realising it ever existed. The small villages are lovely, and the church tower of St Andrew's at Sutton is a sight to behold from across the flat fenland landscape. You have inspired me to slow down in future to look out for some of these remaining relics, particularly those fine bridge piers near Haddenham.
What a wonderful video thank you so much for making and sharing it !
My pleasure and thank you for your kind words. If you have not already done so do enjoy my other films in the series!
Fantastic quality and very well researched .
Just superb
That's very kind of you to say so. It was a lovely day's filming. May I encourage you to see my other films in the series and to subscribe if you've not already done so?
Another excellent video and very good therapy.
Many thanks!
"....Mere shadows of things that were..." Dickens Christmas Story. I love your videos. The vintage pictures are priceless.
Thank you - what a lovely day for filming this was!
Brilliant! Thanks so much for making this video. My gt grandmother’s family lived at Wilburton station, where they worked, as well as working on Haddenham station too.
I'm glad it was worth the wait and I'm delighted to learn of a personal connection to this line. I can imagine that there could've been worse places to work than those stations - fascinating bit of history that has gone but not been forgotten!
Another great video! This one would be useful in open today!
Thank you - and yes, agreed!
I'm sure that Ernest Marples had nothing but good intentions as the owner of the UK's biggest Road Building Company when he gave instructions to Doctor Beeching on saving the railways.
Wonderful nostalgic film. What a shame there is so little left of the line. Again, your video has brought the line back to life. The photographs are very useful.
Thank you. This was made in summer 2018 and it was a fine day for it. You must've seen nearly all my films now. Have you looked at my Lynton and Barnstaple film which I made during the same summer?
That's a lot of hard work you put in. Really enjoyed that. Thank you.
It is, but it is such an enjoyable hobby! Thank you for your subscription. Please enjoy my other films!
Looks as if you had a nice spell of Weather for this rediscovery. As ever I find your Films are a delight, good old RVW, and echoing the moods of the British Countryside it fits in beautifully to the visual Narrative of the Film doesn't it. Thank you.
The Fens looked at their best that day. I think this film came together well. Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent, really enjoyed that.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the film. Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series!
Love these films and the music draws you in...... Suddenly I've spent the whole day reliving the magic of them all..... How many of these films have been made as I don't want to miss any and is there on from Market Harborough to Northampton or Hertford to Welwyn Garden City to Leighton Buzzard...... Keep up the great work x
Kings Lynn to Hunstanton
Please subscribe to my channel and explore it all. Not sure how many I've made - quite a lot - and you're in luck as my latest one will be out today at 1230! So go to my channel and have a look at them all. I look forward to your subscription and will endeavour to explore those suggested lines.
Love the music that goes with the video. Very relaxing and enjoyable video. Thank you ☺
It's a beautiful piece. Ralph Vaugh Williams, 'Norfolk Rhapsody'
Thoroughly enjoyed this
Thank you very much - glad to hear it! It was a good day's filming, that's for sure. Do let me know what you think of the other films in the series!
The light industrial site shown at 9.44 is actually the old railway sidings and is called the "Sidings Industrial Estate" I've lived in St Ives for over forty years and it's taken me most of that time to work out where all the different railway lines went to. There are still bits of old buildings and bridges everywhere. It must have been quite a busy hub back in the day. All we have left now is the guided bus that runs along the old St Ives to Cambridge rail track route.
Many thanks for the info 👍
Many thanks for the info 👍
Excellent work 👍
Thank you - do have a look at the other films in my Lost Railways series if you've not already done so!
Always interesting video of a railway that doesn’t exist anymore
Many thanks indeed!
There is a land of lost content, I see it shining plain - the happy railways where we went and cannot go again. (w/ apologies to A E Housman)
One of my favourite poems. Thanks for the comment!
Many of these stations were of pleasing architecture, so it's a shame more of them haven't been preserved. I suppose that's progress. Still, it must be a thrill to find bits and pieces that are undisturbed. I love the English countryside, and I'm fascinated by some of the village names.
I agree - I imagine it would've made a delightful heritage line, if preserved. Do watch my March - Spalding film if you are interested in unusual place names!
Absolutely amazing so pleased to see something on the Hitchin to Bedford line . As my family come from the Shefford ,Clifton and RAF Henlow Camp this is of great interest . I can vaguely remember the level crossing at Henlow camp and the odd steam train as a youngster. And also a train passing on the bridge at Shefford on its way to Bedford . I often wondered about the lines history over the years . It would of been great to have kept it open between Hitchin and Bedford . But this little insite into the history of this line was really well put together and presented well . Made my day.
Thank you for kind remarks about my film. Moreover thank you for sharing your memories of this line...though you left your lovely comment on my Ely to St Ives film...I'll still take the compliment!
Iam so sorry I've probably, got caught up in the moment . Thanks so much anyway I will try and show your excellent work to my folks who are from the Hitchin and Shefford areas and now in there late 80,s . Maybe they have some stories about the line. But many thanks.
Very interesting. I love these videos.
Glad to hear it. There are many more to come. I try to upload once every two months.
Brings back memories of long ago
Many thanks indeed
Yet another fine piece of work under vast fenland skies, RVW as appropriate as ever. Bravo once more! How about the Bury St Edmunds to Thetford line one day, it seems to rather undocumented and may merit your detective skills. I suspect some of its rusty remains may once have been shown in a Dad's Army episode!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this one. It was a beautiful day when I made this back in August, one that really presented the Fens at their best. Indeed I have looked at that line and it is a long term ambition. My next film will be out in December - in the mean time I'm working on my biggest project yet...more to follow!
Another great video, I knew the railway went there but only seen a few of the old buildings and never knew the exact route. As the crow flies ely is not that far from me...
I had the pleasure of living in Ely for a couple of years, so travelling back here to make this film was a delight and the weather was just perfect. Very glad you enjoyed this film.
Really enjoying this video and a nice capture of the river Great Ouse at Earith (7:15)
It was a beautiful day to spend by the river, especially in the shadow of those bridge piers!
Those bridge piers, fantastic.
Thanks once again for another excellent video...an enjoyable 10 minutes of railway history...set me up for another month,until hopefully the next one?
Yes I've already filmed two more - the next one will be released in December and the second will be in February. This is giving me time to work on what will be my biggest project to date, which I'll be able to release at about Easter time...I know there's quite a gap between uploads, but I hope they're worth the wait!
I think there's room for many more thumbs-ups in that viewer-list.
Thank you for saying so. Glad you enjoyed it!
Another wonderful video and lovely music. Have you thought of doing a video of the DNSR (Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway)?
Yes, I'd like to do this one a great deal, I've been looking at maps etc to see what's left!
The 33-span Hockley Viaduct just outside Winchester is a superb relic.
Great vid..love the channel
Thank you very much for saying so!
Great Vid! If you walk from where the old St.Ives Station used to be, in reverse of the route followed here, and follow the track route behind the first set of buildings, which are commercial, there are still railway sleepers in the ground there. It's on the first curve away from where the guided bus way pick up point is.
Curses! I wish I had known! Thanks for your comment.
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Did you notice the St Ives station building is still there! Also, hidden in the roadside vegetation at Erith, the remains of the bridge over the Great River Ouse opposite the marina.
@@Rabchog Ah...I don't think I did... #channelfail
They've gone now......well, covered in gravel stones...
I have been looking at old ordnance survey maps from 1900,s the amount of track laid down is amazing, goods sidings and manufactures with their own sidings, gas work sidings and a lot of the track beds are know housing estates .
It is remarkable how even minor rural routes such as this were given extraordinary levels of infrastructure. A complete contrast from today, where construction offers the bare minimum!
Dambuster that'll be because the railways were the only means of transporting goods over long distances at the time. In some place like Ramsey , Cambridgeshire, you had 2 railway companies opened lines - the GNR came from the west off the ECML and GER from the east, and each had their oewn station and goods yard.
Odd how many of its stations have similar names to others. Stretham & Stre(a)tham in S London, Earith and Erith in Kent and St Ives and the other one in Cornwall. Must have been a booking clerk's nightmare.
Yes just so! I had to double check the spellings to be sure I had the right one!
There are at least two other St Ives too. One near Ringwood in Hampshire and the other better known one in Cornwall.
The Busway station isn't where the old station was located. The old station building is still there on station road, down by Waitrose.
I realise that now, whoops! thanks for the info!
It's a pity they didn't turn defunct stations into listed buildings. That would have prevented the redevelopmet of those lovely station houses.
Yes, I agree! Thank you for your subscription by the way!
Just a thought...why not consider doing an introduction of how you yourself go about creating the rediscovery series of video`s? Perhaps something you may consider in the future episodes.
I've thought about this before...maybe I will include a 'making of' for my next big project...
l used to work at the factory that now occupies the station sight at Haddenham ( 1983 ,Anson Packaging ,it was then . ) The old station house shown in the photo was their offices( stood alone then ) . Stretham station stood there many years as was shown in the photo at the beginning . But a few years back it was refurbished and modernised and so lost at lot of that old Station look . l can't remember if the Canopy was kept ? l think not ! Edit - yes according to this video ! Also l notice the old station house at Haddenham has had an extension and the factory looks much bigger !
Many thanks for your comment and memories!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Another memory is that area between Stretham station and Wilburton station and then to Haddenham Station - all along that valley ( bordered by Witchford in the north ) in which the railway used to run , all used to be orchards at one time . Fruit trees everywhere for miles and miles ! Up until the mid eighties when then were all ripped up! Mainly apple trees. l remember them being quite a sight and smell in the spring when they were all in blossom !! All ripped out due to cheap French apples ! Sadly all you see now is wheat fields.
I went through hadenham and the station building been demolished
What a shame!
Unfortunately it looks as if the Haddenham site has been demolished for "Improvements".
Yes, just so...
Maybe one day, using a drone, someone could film March Wimblington Chatteris Somersham St Ives line.....
I think you've come across the right person to do it...
Heavy duty chemtrails in some shots....
Ah, what are those? The traces left by aircraft?
7:39 You don't learn! "Just under a mile later...." should be "just under a mile FURTHER...." Mile refers to distance, later refers to time and the two don't go together. As would be said, "half an hour later", not "half an hour further".
Sir - I have learned - you told me yesterday and it is something I will change with future films. I would ask *you* to learn something now: I cannot retrospectively amend this error on my past films. I suggest that either you accept this, or stop watching my films, lest you encounter errors of a similar kind. It is one thing to teach a lesson - but jeering from the sidelines is unbecoming, if not altogether embarrassing.
@@RediscoveringLostRailways If you have the raw footage, you can re-edit the video with the corrected captioning added. It can be done. Timsvideochannel1 very recently re-uploaded a video of his Welsh Highland Railways video with corrected captions after someone(not me) spotted a spelling mistake in the original upload.
@@neilforbes416 I could - but I can live without the hassle and focus on making new films. Let's now draw a line under it.
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Amen! Every forward, not backward just to satisfy a one-in-seven-billion.
how about some comments?edit: if i wanted a slideshow i would go to imgur
It is what it is. You're under no obligation to watch it...
Hate the music
The music is gorgeous! But I know it's not to everyone's taste. My older films had a musical accompaniment, this among them.
Not so long ago there was still a concrete lineman's hut extant close to the industrial estate on the edge of St. Ives. It's gone, now, I believe.