Back To Radstock Collieries Index
HUISH COLLIERY & TRAMWAY
(Radstock)
(From visit on the 23rd April 20201)
Sadly, so far I have not found any
photographs or information about Huish Coal Mine and and it's incline.
All I could do was take
a few photos of what remains today.
From the bus stop on Victoria
Road I walked up Frome Road, checking out the remains of the
Ludlow branch and incline up to the
road junction by the Fromeway Pub then walked up Mells Lane to the
site of the Upper Writhlington branch road crossing and incline
sites then further along Mells Lane to the junction with Huish
Cottages and turned down the lane to the entrance to Huish
Colliery.
The layout relationship between Kelmersden, Upper Whrithlington and
Huish coal mines from NLS Maps.
This is from the period between 1841 and 1942. Kelmersden
incline only had the south facing spur to the GWR main line.
At Hish Coal mine there were two sidings heading out to the south side
of the coal tip, whereas in the map below there was
just the one going out to the north side. The track was obviously
moved to wherever it was required at the time to even out
the spread of the tip.
Huish Coal Mine & Incline from NLS Maps. Side
by side views with Google Earth.
You can see the exchange plant by the side of the Rastock to Frome
branch. With the incline dropping down from the coal mine
Likewise the short branch heading northwestwards to the coal Tip. Also
not the farm access bridge to the north side of the
Huish Cottages at the road entrance with the junction off Mells Lane.
The way into the coal mine site.
Old hut approaching the coal mine entrance. This may have been a
security post!
The entrance into the coal mine site.
The Wheel Pit site with the lane running around towards Huish House.
Ex Official buildings within the mine premises.
This may have been the coal mine managers home.
The circle of daffodills marks the site of the Pit head and wheel
house.
Site of the Wheel pit and the complete coal mine site.
Nothing remains of the actual mine buildings.
A line came out of the coal mine and westwards to the coal tip.
Further towards the end of the coal tip. There is nothing to be
seen.
View from the Ex Wheel Pit side, northwards back towards Mells Lane.
View from the summit of the incline, northwestwards over Radstock.
This house is at the next level down from the entrance path. The
incline dropped down just behind this building.
Looking back up the incline towards the coal mine site. The line of
site for the incline coming from the coal mine.
Looking up the whole length of the incline from the wagon exchange
site. My thanks to the lady at Huish House for her
kind permission to enter their land and to look around. You
can't get onto this site from the Ex GWR track bed.
Left: The coal mine site looking northwards along the
private lane too and from Huise House.
Right: The drop down to the unloading building by the
main branch line.
The clear view westwards looking down the incline. The Kelmersden
incline is up through the trees to the right of
center.
The incline dropped down from here to join the Frome branch.
NLS Map crop showing the unloading building
straddling over the two sidings. There was a
smaller building alongside.
Where the unloading exchange building stood by the main line. This
would have been the entrance into the building.
Site of the unloading building. The trees have grown through
everything.
The railway fence divides the unloading exchange platform from the
man railway which is a walking and cycling
route between Radstock and Frome.
The edge of the unloading platform. There were two
sidings, running in off the main line from the Frome direction. Here
you can see that the sidings curved slightly away from the main line
and to the stop blocks.
Remains of the north side of the unloading building.
A GWR boundary post.
Looking towards Radstock from what would have been inside the
building.
The farm access under bridge with the walking & cycle way above.
The two sidings stop block were to the right in line
with the fence, below.
Here I would have been standing inside the building. This is the inside
north facing wall. It appears that the wagons entered
the shed level with the top of the wall, center and the wagon loads
tipped into the mainline wagons at ground level. The
sidings were on a ramp alongside the main line.
Looking towards Frome from what would have been inside the
building. You can see that the sidings were above the
main line, which is behind the fence.
Building remains.
This looks like the remains of the roof of the building.
This is the remains of the south wall of the unloading building that
is now fenced off on the walkway side.
END.
=========================================================
These two views are along the path to Huish House, where I had to go to
have permission to go onto their land and down to
the coal unloading site. Looking towards the house.
Reverse view back towards the coal mine site.
A view from the path overlooking the valley where the Ex Bristol to
Frome railway ran below, within the tree line.
=========================================================================================
To:
Clandown Middle & Middle Pit Collieries (Radstock) Part One
The
Dundee & Newtyle Rlwy Walks Opened
in 1831 the route had three incline planes. The first was from
the terminal station on Ward Street, up the Dundee Law, where there was
also a tunnel. The second was the Balbeuchley incline at
Rosemill and the third at Hatton that ran down to Newtyle station.
It was also the very first passenger train service in Scotland.
Worked by Horse over the levels until the first steam engine was
purchased in 1833. Came under the Caledonian Railway with it's terminal moved to
Dundee West station. Passengers
service ended in 1952 and the line totally closed in the mid 60's.
The inclines were by-passed in the 1860's.
The Cromford & High Peak Incline railway in Derbyshire has been luckier in having much of it's buildings, including an Engine House preserved. This is what could have happened with
the D&N, indeed, should have happened with at least one of the D&N inclines. However, the C&H gives an excellent comparison of what the D&N would have looked like, albeit the
inclines were only single track.Boddam To Ellon Branch (Walks) By Bill Reid. Ex GNSR branch line.
Dyce To Fraserburgh and Peterhead Walks. Ex GNSR
Bath To Wellow Rlwy Walks Ex Somerset & Dorset Rlwy.
The Test Valley Railway Walk. (New Mills To Hayfield).
Hosted by www.theatreorgans.com