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The Forest of Dean - North East
Collieries, iron mines, railways and tramroads around Cinderford
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The Transport and Industries of the Forest of Dean and South-Western England

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Serridge Junction

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.

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.


Trafalgar Colliery

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.


Drybrook Road

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Foxes Bridge     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.

Foxes Bridge

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Foxes Bridge     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.


New Fancy Colliery

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.

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.


Howbeach

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.

Howbeach Colliery and Quarry - SO 6403 0863

Quidchurch Colliery - SO 6490 1015


Morses Level

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

Morses Level - SO 6400 0880

Underground at Morses Level

An underground visit to the level organised by Gwent Caving Club


Wallsend Colliery

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

Wallsend Colliery - SO 6426 0853

An underground visit to the colliery organised by Gwent Caving Club


Lea Bailey

Quick links to :-     Drybrook Road     Howbeach     Lea Bailey     Morses Level
    New Fancy Colliery     Serridge     Trafalgar Colliery     Wallsend Colliery
    Lydney and the South West     Blakeney and the South East     Coleford and the North West

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.


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.


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