Elevated Tramway Branch
at Bugsworth Canal Basin

Bugsworth Arches

Introduction

In the late 1860s a decision was made to build a new tramway branch to the Top Kilns (or New Road kilns) to improve the supply of limestone. Unlike the main line, this was designed to be level and horses were used to haul loaded waggons along it. It was approximately 600 metres long and it branched from the north side of the tramway main line adjacent to a footbridge across the Black Brook (referred to as 'brookbridge') to terminate just beyond the eighth kiln at New Road. It was single track throughout but a passing loop and a siding were provided at the kilns.

At first, it followed the course of the main line until it reached the first of two skew bridges. The track bed between the footbridge and skew bridges was along the top of a stone-faced causeway, which is believed to be a unique feature. Because the main line was on a gradient it quickly dropped away below the level of the branch. On reaching the first skew bridge the branch veered away from the main line to first cross the medieval packhorse road (between Macclesfield and Glossop) and then the Black Brook.

On the far side of the skew bridges the track bed was laid along the top of an embankment, which diminished in height until it reached Brookside at Bugsworth. Between the Black Brook and its terminus at the Top Kilns, its route was, more or less, straight.

It crossed Brookside on a level crossing where a weigh house was provided, opposite Rose Cottage, to weigh the limestone being carried. This was built with two date stones both incised '1870' but the lower one was additionally incised with the initials 'WPD'. These initials stand for William Pitt Dixon who was a lime merchant and the lessee of the Top Kilns for many years.

Ahead of the weigh house the branch ran by the kiln heads to terminate just beyond the eighth kiln. Away from this point the land dropped to form a strip of land lying between New Road and the headrace for the water-powered Britannia Mill and this land was used for the disposal of lime ash. A short tramway incline to the foot of the kilns was also provided. It was the job of 'lime pickers' to remove lumps of unburnt limestone from the kiln draw-holes and put them into waggons to be hauled up to the top where they would either be passed through the kilns again or taken away to be broken up and used as road stone. This line became known as the Bull's Head line because of its proximity to the inn of that name and curiously the lumps of unburnt limestone became known, in the vernacular, as 'bull-yeads'.

Memoirs of Mrs Martha Barnes

Mrs Barnes made some interesting observations about the elevated tramway branch during its working days.

'He (Joe Barnes, Martha's husband) used to take waggons by horse to Top Kilns. He and his brother, James, were the only ones with horses on the kilns.'

Horses used for this purpose were known as 'chain horses' because of the manner in which they were hitched to tramway waggons.

'Lime(stone) crossed road to Gnat Hole (here Mrs Barnes meant the Top Kilns) by Rose Cottage. Waggons weighed and then went to Top Kilns. Only one weighing machine. Waggons for kilns on Gnat Hole side (Bugsworth Lime Works) were not weighed in Bugsworth. Gnat Hole waggons were divided at 'brookbridge'.'

Mrs Barnes is explaining that a gang of loaded waggons descending the Peak Forest Tramway would be brought to a halt at the turnout for the elevated tramway branch ('brookbridge') where it would be divided. One part would continue down the main line to Bugsworth Canal Basin, destined either for transhipment by boat or for delivery to Bugsworth Lime Works and the other part would be hauled by horses along the elevated tramway branch to the Top Kilns. Gnat Hole is a hamlet on Silk Hill to the south of Bugsworth Canal Basin where there was another battery of eight kilns known as Bugsworth Lime Works.

'Initials on shed (limestone weigh house) at (beside) Rose Cottage, used as a weighing machine. Shed built by William Barnes. WPD 1870, owned by Buxton Lime Company.'

William Barnes was Martha's father-in-law. 'WPD' refers to William Pitt Dixon, a lime merchant who was the lessee of the Top Kilns for many years. Buxton Lime Company was Buxton Lime Firms Ltd, an amalgamation of lime firms established in 1891 of which William Pitt Dixon became part.

'A double tramway line ran above Rose Cottage (here Mrs Barnes should have said a single tramway line). Weighing machine (weighbridge) consisted of a flat (rectangular) piece of iron on railroad. Waggons stood on these (this). Two vertical arms with a horizontal bar on which the weights were shown (that is a balance arm having a graduated scale). They pushed little ball weights along the horizontal bar. Weights (of limestone) were booked on a little desk under the window of the stone hut (weigh house) by the weighing machine. The shed (weigh house) was perhaps built by Mr Barnes (that is, by William Barnes, Martha's father-in-law). He (the tally clerk) would take the numbers of the waggons and record the weights. He sat on a tall stool.'

Each mineral waggon was numbered and its tare weight was already known. Once the clerk knew the gross weight of the waggon and contents, all he had to do was to deduct the tare weight to determine the weight of limestone. In addition to painted numbers, each waggon had a small rectangular piece of copper sheet attached to it, which also bore the waggon number as well as the railway company's initials, 'MS&LR Co', which stood for Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company.

A virtual journey along the elevated tramway branch

The following photographs take viewers on a journey along the top of the causeway and then the embankment, commencing at the footbridge over the Black Brook and ending at the Top Kilns, the latter being shown still working in the early 20th century.

Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The 15 milestone close to the start of the branch line, 6 Nov 2004. The tramway main line is on the left and the branch line is on the right.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The footbridge over the Black Brook, referred to by Mrs Barnes as 'brookbridge', where the branch line starts, 6 Nov 2004. The turnout is just off the picture on the left. This is where waggon gangs stopped so that they could be divided with one part proceeding down the main line to Bugsworth Canal Basin while the other was horse hauled along the branch line to the Top Kilns.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth. The turnout where the elevated branch line starts, 6 Nov 2004. The main line is on the left, the branch line is straight ahead and the abutment of the footbridge is on the right. Note the stone sleeper blocks to the left of the bridge abutment.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Stone sleeper blocks still in situ adjacent to the footbridge, 6 Nov 2004.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth. The main line is on the left and the branch line is centre left , 6 Nov 2004.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth. The main line is on the left and the branch line is centre left, 6 Nov 2004. The outbuildings of a row of terraced cottages are just visible on the left and on the 1881 census this row was referred to as 'Tramway Side'.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth. The causeway near 'Tramway Side' cottages, 6 Nov 2004. Note that on the north side of the causeway the stone revetting is still extant.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth from the top of the causeway near 'Tramway Side' cottages, 6 Nov 2004.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking away from Buxworth from the top of the skew bridge across the medieval packhorse road, 9 Oct 1977.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	A short section of missing embankment on the approach to the skew bridge over the medieval packhorse road, 6 Nov 2004.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The two skew bridges, known as 'Bugsworth Arches', 4 Aug 1976. The nearer bridge crosses the medieval packhorse road and the farther bridge crosses the Black Brook. The spiral arch courses are clearly visible in this photograph and they enabled a skew crossing to be made rather than one at a right angle.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking up the main line of the tramway from the corner of the skew bridge across the medieval packhorse road, 6 Nov 2004. At this point some of the revetting is still extant.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth from the top of the causeway at the point where the branch line veers away from the main line to cross the two skew bridges, 6 Nov 2004. The upstream archway of the bridge across the Black Brook is just visible on the right.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth from the top of the two skew bridges, 6 Nov 2004.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	Looking towards Buxworth from the top of the embankment, 6 Nov 2004.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The level crossing at Buxworth where the branch line crossed Brookside, 6 Nov 2004. New Road is on the right.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The limestone weigh house on Brookside, 6 Nov 2004. The waggon weighbridge was on the right-hand side of the building.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The date stone on the limestone weigh house, 6 Nov 2004. 'WPD' refers to William Pitt Dixon, a lime merchant who was the lessee of the Top Kilns for many years.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The Top Kilns at New Road seen from the former Bugsworth Lime Works at Gnat Hole, early 1900s. Waggons, loaded with limestone, are waiting at the end of the elevated tramway branch to discharge their cargoes into the kilns. The lime ash, which has been tipped beyond the leftmost kiln must have been carried from the foot of the kilns to the top using tramway waggons. Note the workmen's bothy on the right. The Parish Church of St James is in the background and Bugsworth Hall is on the left. In the foreground, note the row of stone sleeper blocks in front of the disused kiln pot.
Photo: IWPS Archive/PJW	The workmen's bothy at the Top Kilns, 30 Dec 1977. On the right, just visible are the remains of another structure, built using firebricks supplied by John Hall and Sons of Dukinfield, Cheshire. John Hall supplied all the firebricks used to line the kiln pots.
	An extract from an Ordnance Survey map of 1878 showing the elevated tramway entering the village and terminating at the Top Kilns. Note: This map only shows six kilns at New Road but by the time of closure there were eight kilns.