Hello everyone, and welcome out on another stomp.
Today I am in the town of Ripley in Derbyshire.
I am walking a section of the former Midland Railway ‘Ripley Branch’ from the site of Marehay Crossing, through the site of the original 1856 Ripley station, through the site of the former Ripley colliery, then on to the 1889 Ripley station, where there are plenty of remains to be found.
Once beyond the station, I follow the trackbed as it gets less and less passable, before finding myself at the end of an enormous embankment, that was once the beginning of a majestic viaduct that curled around the edge of the former Penrith Colliery.
We dive into the history of the railway, the colliery, and also the incredible story of Operation Pied Piper, 800,000 children were evacuated from the cities of England to avoid the German bombs.
From September 1940 in to 1941, several of these children arrived at Ripley station from the city of Birmingham.
I hope you enjoy the explore.
Videos mentioned – The Walk – EP 67 – Denby Branch Part One – Canals, Gangroads & Castles – Little Eaton To Coxbench – https://youtu.be/j2AqzYz2yeM?si=c4G33bMIRSnxivru
The Walk – EP 68 – The Denby Branch PT 2 – Iron, Coal & Tarmac – Coxbench To Denby – Derbyshire – https://youtu.be/t-w7SfsQVpU?si=zH3Y4gVDANtmWndC
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15 Comments
Nice one Gareth. Thought I'd watch fer a few mins.. Watched it all.
Best from Yorkshire
The woman waving from the train at 16:20 I think was Noelle Gordon who starred for many years in Crossroads ,( she was quite a big celebrity in that time) Another great video Gareth and the scale of how quickly history can be lost is really becoming all too real , Thanks and ""keep on truckin ❤👍
I used to walk to the viaduct when I was a lad was a lot further on that that they had built a wall so you didn’t fall off but all the pillars where there until the a 38 decimated that area there was also another small tunnel built on top off another tunnel that was access down to the cromford canal and the butterley tunnel was a fantastic area to play when I was a kid still walk around there loads every week shame I didn’t see you again 👍
Another good walk video coincidentally I’m Woking round the corner and have been picking materials up from keys what is next to the old station 👍
Hayup Gareth So much great stone infrastructure great bridges an underpasses, shame about the viaduct should have curved the road round to go over it, I think the Penn station in New York only lasted about fifty years what a waste of effort an craftsmanship.
I’ve heard of a story of a lad being evacuated from Southampton to the New Forest an the house he went to got bombed fortunately no one hurt! they where tending to the vegetable patch.
also a lesser known bouncing bomb story it was top secret for over fifty years maybe seventy years they practiced with it on a ridge beyond godshill dropping it from mosquitos, useing concrete pads as markers to test speed and distance, I was cycling my 1939 Sunbeam tredder past bygone days a local historical meeting about 20 years ago an got talking to an old boy who recognised my bike as it was an X RAF aerodrome bike Ibsley an stony cross apparently they had half a dozen like it,he was an aero mechanic an serviced the cycles too, I knew it was from ibsley as the bloke I bought it from told me, an had worked out the rest from serial numbers etc, it’s high geared to get to planes quickly, anyway we got talking an after a few pints he relayed why it was so hush hush the bouncing bomb information one bomb bounced an took the rear of the plane off, so that was a bit of a disaster, he then told me of an American warbird a radial engined fighter that ran out of fuel in sight of stony cross an crash landed on the Ibsley WI hut they where busy making Jam so narrowly missed that meeting.
America bought a knew hut.which was nice of them.
Thing is I use to tell a few folks about this an they who really know there onions on all things wartime an local would tell me what nonesense I was told a fast one or two, then a few years back they released footage on YouTube of the bouncing bomb on godshill ridge, funny thing history I guess you got be there. or work it out as best can from the many sources we know have, good research as ever.
Cheers
I work in that area. Indeed, some drone shots show the very building I work in. A bit further down the hill on Peasehill Road is another path opposite the new housing estate and quarry that looks a lot like it could have been railway related too.
Nice video.
Loving your Channel and videos Gareth and Team 😊😊😊 I particularly enjoyed the music 🎶 at the start of the Video Gareth…your really nailing these videos and I KNOW your Channel will go from strength to strength 💪 😀 well done all..give my Regards to your dad also Gareth from one Lestonian to another 😊😊😊
Great little walk Gareth. Nice to have a little snippet of home too. Please keep my mum in your thoughts, she's in St Mary's hospital with a suspected broken pelvis and sepsis. Thanks.
All that hard work and time, as you say what is the point
Cheers Gareth….enjoyed this one…
Well done on crossing the A610 to regain the trackbed up as far as the farm occupation bridge. Many a man dont include it ! BTW – where the line branched off the Pye Bridge – Ambergate line, there is a buffer in the undergrowth sat just where the viaduct began on the Lake side of the road at Hammersmith next to the Mill and is also a loading platform and rail in the undergrowth that served the Mill.
I enjoyed this very much, thank-you Gareth. Great work, as always.
Still is an aquaduct,runs right down middle 9f our road all way over to Nottingham
Cracking stomp Gareth/ Cheers mate!