ELLON TO BODDAM RAILWAY
Cruden Bay (Brick Works Site)
The walk continued from the demolished bridge by the track to the Bullers and along the road towards Cruden Bay, where I came across the site of Buller's Halt before continuing along the main road to the outskirts of Cruden village, at the road Junction with the Peterhead and Fraserburgh road. The railway bridge has been demolished but you see the north end of the branch and on the south side the bridge embuttment remains. Behind this was the Brickworks, that was linked to the railway but there was no way to get to it from this point. By walking around and into the new estate I found a way onto the site where the brickwork building had been completely demolished. The area towards the viaduct had become very boggy and impassible with the opening of the cutting onto the Viaduct being back-filled. I had to walk around the village to get to Station Road and the walk down to the old station site and the remains of the viaduct.
The end of the trackbed and the demolished bridge at the road junction for
Fraserburgh and Peterhead
On the south side of
the road the bridge buttment is still well defined. The brickworks is just out
of site behind the
trees to the right. The main entrance to the work site is about 100 yards up the
road to the right but the gate is locked.
I walked to the left of this scene and a road in the new housinge state led me
to an opening where I could walk onto the
work's site, albeit, it is meant to be fenced off. However, thankfully, in this
case, there are large gaps in the fence.
However it is not safe for children to play in, or as I found, not even for
adults.
The site of the brick
works, now flattened. The trackbed towards Boddam was on the far right
Looking towards
Hatton. The right of way is blocked by a large heap. Perhaps there are some
interesting works' paraphenalia buried there! The track ran on the far left.
A few bricks still lie
around. One of the major jobs carried out by the works was the building of
Lenabo Air Ship Depot, which was served by a branchline at Longside on the
Peterhead branch
This hut by the main
gate probably had no connection with the railway but is the only building left
standing
The brick works
covered quite a large area as seen by the concrete base. A new housing estate
is built around the eastern side of the site
The trackbed runs
towards the cutting and the viaduct. The ground is extremely boggie and, not
seen
in the picture, to the middle ground is heavily flooded. However the opening
onto the viaduct has been
back-filled. There may be a way up to it along the top of the left bank.
Intersting point is the object just
'ahead to the left, which is either a thermometer or gas sensing device. There
was another one further back.
The land is obvioulsy being monitored. Another point of interest is the
two flags by someone's back garden
in the new estate.
The flooded area
beyond and the trackbed has become very wet and boggy. The cutting towards
the viaduct has been partially back-filled
The quarry is quite
deep and the area is very dangerous. Makes for a pretty scene but care must be
taken in
and around this sight. It was impossible to go beyond this point on the railway
trackbed and I had to return the
way I came in and walk through and around the new estate to get to the viaduct
and station area.