Serridge Junction

Serridge Junction was in the middle of nowhere and was where the Lydbrook branch joined the main Lydney to Cinderford line. The last secton of the Lydbrook branch from Mierystock Sidings to Serridge Junction closed in 1960 as did the line back from Serridge Junction to Speech House Road towards Lydney.

The Lydbrook Branchline from Serridge Junction to Mierystock

The Lydbrook branch of the Severn and Wye Railway was completed in 1874 and the final section in use, Mierystock Sidings to Serridge Junction, closed in 1960, soon after the closure of the colliery. The remains of a small level and what could be a tipping dock are just South of the Mierystock Sidings Junction.

Mierystock Sidings Junction	Old level beside Junction	Old level beside Junction	Old level beside Junction
Old level beside Junction	Old level beside Junction	Permanent way hut near Junction	Mierystock to Serridge Junction
Mierystock to Serridge Junction	Mierystock to Serridge Junction	Mierystock to Serridge Junction	Mierystock to Serridge Junction
Mierystock to Serridge Junction

Serridge Junction

Serridge Junction to Drybrook Road. The retaining arch was built in 1904 to support the wall keeping the Trafalgar Colliery tips at bay.

Serridge Junction to Lydney	Serridge Junction to Lydney	Serridge Junction	Iron fencepost near the junction
Concrete post near the junction	Trafalgar Colliery arch	The retaining arch below Trafalgar	The retaining arch below Trafalgar
The retaining arch below Trafalgar	The retaining arch below Trafalgar	The retaining arch below Trafalgar

Trafalgar Colliery

Trafalgar Colliery and Brain's tramroad - SO 6250 1445

Brains tramroad was 2' 7" gauge and used the locomotive 'Trafalgar', built by the Lilleshall Co in 1869.

Trafalgar Colliery	Trafalgar Colliery	Trafalgar Colliery	Trafalgar Colliery
Trafalgar Colliery tunnel	Trafalgar Colliery tunnel	Trafalgar Colliery tunnel	Trafalgar Colliery tunnel
Trafalgar Colliery tunnel	Trafalgar Colliery magazine	Trafalgar Colliery magazine	Trafalgar Colliery magazine
Trafalgar House	Brain's Trafalgar tramroad	Brain's Trafalgar tramroad	T E Gunter of Trafalgar Colliery
Trafalgar Colliery tunnel	Trafalgar Colliery	'Trafalgar', built by Lilleshall

Drybrook Road

Drybrook Road - SO 6332 1448

Drybrook Road was once the terminus of the Severn and Wye Railway line but soon became the junction of the line to Cinderford, the Mineral Loop and the Trafalgar Colliery sidings. The Trafalgar Colliery sidings closed with the colliery in 1925. The line to Cinderford Junction closed in 1949 along with the very little-used Mineral Loop.

In 1878 the S&WR entrance to Trafalgar Colliery were further towards Serridge and the track layourt was much simpler than 1901. Brains Tramroad is in place until after the 1920 map.

Drybrook Road Junction, 1878	Drybrook Road Junction, 1901
The Trafalgar Colliery branch	The Trafalgar Colliery branch	Drybrook Road Junction	Drybrook Road Junction
The main line to Cinderford	The Mineral Loop	The Mineral Loop	The Mineral Loop

Foxes Bridge

Foxes Bridge Colliery - SO 6384 1351

Foxes Bridge Colliery dates back to the 1820s and opened on this site in c1855. It closed in 1930 following the closure of Crump Meadow Colliery the previous year. The incline to the GWR line at Bilson was built in c1870 and a connection to the S & WR mineral loop followed in 1872. There are still a lot of foundations and part of a beam pumping engine that was excavated when the site was made safe.

Foxes Bridge Colliery, 1878	Foxes Bridge Colliery, 1901	Foxes Bridge Colliery, 1920
Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery
Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery
Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery
Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery
Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery	Foxes Bridge Colliery reservoir	The Mineral Loop at Foxes Bridge
Foxes Bridge Incline	Foxes Bridge Incline	Foxes Bridge Incline	Foxes Bridge Incline

New Fancy Colliery

New Fancy Colliery - SO 6275 0960

New Fancy colliery was opened by Edward Protheroe in 1827, as part of the Park End Coal Company. By 1860 it was owned by Sully & Company and in 1885 was sold to the Parkend & New Fancy Collieries Company. It closed in 1944.

In 2013 the No 2 shaft was subsiding so it needed re-capping. While doing it, some machinery was found over the old shaft which turns out to be parts of a pumping system. These are the angle bobs of a horizontal shaft that could be driven by either a horizontal or rotary engine. The system was built by T Bennett & Co, Pontypool Foundry.

New Fancy Colliery screens	New Fancy Colliery chimney	New Fancy Colliery chimney	New Fancy Colliery engine house
New Fancy Colliery 'beam' engine	New Fancy Colliery 'beam' engine	New Fancy Colliery 'beam' engine	New Fancy Colliery, buried rail
New Fancy Colliery excavations	New Fancy Colliery	New Fancy Colliery

Newman Shropshire Colliery - SO 6344 0937

Newman Shropshire Colliery or Horse Engine Colliery was open by 1841 and working in 1892. It is shown as 'disused' in 1901 and gone by 1920. The coal may have been worked from another colliery until c1926.

Newman Shropshire Colliery, 1901

Newman Shropshire Colliery

Newman Shropshire Coalpits

Howbeach

Brookall Ditches Colliery - SO 6188 0888

Brookall Ditches Colliery was owned by Edward Protheroe with a tramroad in 1813 to the S & W tramroad at Parkend. The tramroad was taken up as 'un-needed' in c1820 but re-instated in 1824 as it really was 'needed'. In 1837 there were plans to extend the tramroad North to Foxes Bridge and odd earthworks in that direction may be connected. Brookall Ditches Colliery was 'disused' and the tramroad gone on the 1878 OS map and the remains still slumber just off the Moseley Green road.

Brookall Ditches Colliery, 1901	Brookall Ditches Colliery shaft 1	Brookall Ditches Colliery shaft 1
Brookall Ditches Colliery shaft 2	Brookall Ditches Colliery shaft 3	Brookall Ditches Colliery shaft 3

Howbeach Colliery and Quarry - SO 6403 0863

Howbeach Collieries, 1878	Howbeach Collieries, 1901	Howbeach Collieries, 1920
Howbeach Colliery shaft 1	Howbeach Colliery shaft 1	Howbeach Colliery shaft 2	Howbeach Colliery shaft 3
Howbeach Colliery shaft 3	Howbeach Colliery shaft 3	Howbeach Colliery shaft 3	Howbeach Colliery shaft 3
Howbeach Colliery level	Howbeach Quarry		The FoDCR trackbed, Mallards Pike

Quidchurch Colliery - SO 6490 1015

Quidchurch Colliery, 1878	Quidchurch Colliery tips	Quidchurch Colliery levels	Quidchurch Colliery levels
Quidchurch Colliery tramway	Quidchurch Colliery tramway	Quidchurch Colliery at work	Quidchurch Colliery at work

Morses Level

Morses Level - SO 6400 0880

The emergency exit from Morses	The emergency exit from Morses
Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach
Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach
Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach	Morses Level, Howbeach

Underground at Morses Level

An underground visit to the level organised by Gwent Caving Club

Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level
Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level	Morses Level

Wallsend Colliery

Wallsend Colliery - SO 6426 0853

An underground visit to the colliery organised by Gwent Caving Club

Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery
Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery
Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery
Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery
Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery
Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery
Wallsend Colliery	Wallsend Colliery

Lea Bailey

Lea Bailey Light Railway, Near Drybrook - SO 6440 1955

Opened in 1906, Lea Bailey was a goldmine but very little gold was found. It was extended into Wigpool Iron Mine and the iron proved more valuable. During WW2 shells were stored in the nearby Hawthorns (Euroclydon) tunnel, connected by a 2ft gauge line. A tourist line was set up in 1995 but abandoned by 2010. Since 2012 a small group of volunteers are trying to revive the idea.

Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway
Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway
Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway	Lea Bailey Light Railway

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks for addition information and photos to :- Paul Baverstock, Ian Castledine, Bob Chisman, Hopewell Colliery, Iain Jameison, Phil Conway-Jones (oldindustrial.wordpress.com), Mark Turner (Onecall Cabs), B W E Waters, John Wood.