|
Downhill all the way on the Fly Line
Source: The Ramblers Magazine
Graham Hudson discovers a walk along a disused railway line
near Leeds and unravels an unexpected piece of local history.
In 1834 the Yorkshire colliery owner Richard Oliver Gascoigne
opened a horse-worked railway through his private Parlington
estate, linking Garforth Colliery with a coal depot at Aberford
on the Roman Road north from Castleford. Known locally as
the Fly Line, and carrying passengers and goods as well
as coal, the railway provided a useful service to the community
until its closure due to competition from the buses in 1924.
I researched the history of the line while studying for
my art teacher's diploma and today the Fly Line, a public
footpath along its whole route, is still one of my favourite
walks.
A clear run
From Garforth station on the Leeds-York main line it is
but a few minutes' walk beside the A642 to Ash Lane. Here
I turn off to the modern concrete works, site many years
ago of the Isabella pit. After that the run of the Fly Line
is clear - a straight footpath on a low embankment heading
north. In the three miles between Garforth and Aberford
the line descended 100 feet and in this direction the train
simply freewheeled with the gradient, the horse that was
to pull the wagons back up to Garforth riding a dandy cart
at the rear.
At Hawk's Nest, site of Elizabeth pit, the Fly Line passes
under the busy M1 but soon the sound of traffic fades and
one is deep in the woodland of Parlington Hollins. The path
gradually curves north-eastwards until the trees end at
Gamekeepers Cottage. Here was a private gasworks and coal
staithe for Parlington Hall where domestic servants would
alight, returning from visits to Garforth. With the train
at a halt, the horse was needed to get it moving again.
When the wagons were rolling under their own weight, the
animal would be quickly unhitched to step nimbly back on
board as its own cart passed by.
Now the lane begins to descend, bringing into view Dark
Arch. Close on 100 yards long, it has all the appearance
of a railway tunnel but predates the line by 20 years. The
arch was created when the lawn of Parlington Hall was extended
to hide coal traffic that passed along Parlington Lane from
pits to the west. A sunken fence, or ha-ha, between lawn
and parkland prevented deer straying over and when it proved
impractical to take the railway through the tunnel the ha-ha
provided a ready-made cutting. Today one has the choice
of either following the Fly Line along the ha-ha or braving
the gloom of the Dark Arch. Most choose the latter.
Steam power came to the Fly Line in 1870 and the locomotive
Empress was purchased in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee. The old photograph (above) shows Empress
and carriage at the bridge known as Light Arch, which one
reaches some 400 yards on. Beneath the bridge one can still
see faint traces of soot from the locos.
Little more than another half mile brings me to Aberford.
The walls of the coal staithes above the depot yard remain
but the passenger shed is long gone. Round the corner from
the Swan Inn there is a Metro bus stop with a good service
back to Leeds. Alternatively one could walk on to Lotherton
Hall, the later Gascoigne residence, now a museum and gallery.
There is a summer Sunday service from Lotherton back to
Leeds, but bus times should be checked beforehand.
The information
Map: OS Explorer 289 Leeds
Start: Garforth Station (grid ref: 407336)
Terrain: Easy going; ideal for family groups
Distance: Three miles
Time: Up to two hours
Transport: Train timetable information available on 0345
484950.
Bus timetalbe information on 0113 245 7676.
Further reading: Aspects of Leeds 3 to be published late
2001 by Wharncliffe Publishing (01226 734555)
|
