PONTEFRACT PART 1

Sorry about the lack of recent posts, but I've now completed my move, so now let's get on with Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Our first stop is Pontefract Monkhill station, ex L&YR. In 1982, a DMU arrives on a service to Leeds via Castleford.

In 2004 this convoy of locos bound for Knottingley was photographed passing through Monkhill.

Northern Rail now serves Monkhill station.

Not far from Monkhill station was the depot of South Yorkshire Road Transport.

We'll see more of SYRT when we get into town, but first we must see Pontefract's other railway station - Tanshelf. LMS 10804 calls on a local service. 

With the reopening of the Pontefract Monkhill to Wakefield Kirkgate passenger service, a new station was built called Tanshelf.

Of the three stations, Tanshelf is the most convenient for the town centre. Here's an old postcard of the area.

Into the town centre then, where we first visit the market and Royal celebrations are taking place.

Here's the market hall around 1900.

Market Day in 1989.

We'll see more of Pontefract in the next post, but I'll leave you in one of the town's best pubs, the Robin Hood.

Next time, there'll be plenty of trams, buses and beer.

OF GLASS AND POWER

Suddenly, everything turns industrial as we enter Knottingley. Here we find, alongside the Aire & Calder Canal, the Steampacket Inn. It's a Marston's house today, but it used to brew its own beer.

Now for a couple of old postcard views of the Aire & Calder Canal, alongside the glassworks for which Knottngley is famed.

Gregg & Co. used to make glass bottles in Knottngley.

Let's take a look around the town. Here's Aire Street.

The Rope Walk.

Two towers.

The War Memorial in 1921.

West Riding buses used to serve Knottngley. This Olympian is near England Lane level crosing.

56048 is seen at England Lane in January 1999 (Photo taken for me by Peter Foster).

In the triangle between England Lane and Knottingley station is the diesel depot. Here it is in 1972 (Alan Walker).

More modern locos in 1983.

Knottingley station is a shadow of its former self. It once had five platforms and an overall roof. Here, a DMU stops in 1983 - just two bare platforms.

National Power 59204 passes through.

At Knottingley West Junction, a spur branches off to the Swinton & Knottingley Joint Line. EWS 59203 (ex National Power) passes by in January 1999 (Photo taken for me by Peter Foster).

There was once a station on the Swinton & Knottingley Joint Line called Ferrybridge for Knottingley.

The Aire & Calder Canal passes through Ferrybridge. The lock is under reconstruction here.

The old A1 bridge at Ferrybridge, with the former power station.

The CEGB had this RSH 0-4-0ST (7795-1954) for shunting at the newer power station.

To the southwest, along the S&K, the next station was Pontefract Baghill.

Here's the station on a snowy day in 1980.

From Baghill, there are views across the valley to Pontefract town centre......

.....and that's where we're going in the next post.

Link to the map.

OOOOH HECK! - THE VERY LAST OF NORTH YORKSHIRE**

Apologies for the delay in getting round to this one, I'm in the throes of moving home at the moment and you know how stressful that can be. Anyway, the show must go on and we've now left Snaith behind and found ourselves on the Hull & Barnsley main line at Aire Junction, where the HB&GC line diverged. This photo was taken after both lines had closed in 1959, though the H&B main line was to be reborn later to serve Drax power station (W Ashton).

Here's a scene in nearby Gowdall during the construction of the HB&GC, where the line crossed the road to Hensall. The HB&GC opened to traffic in 1916.

Another scene just after closure of the H&B main line, showing Gowdall Junction, where the spur down to the L&YR at Hensall Junction diverged (W Ashton).

This is Hensall Junction, looking east in 1967, with the disused spur to the H&B rusting away (Photographer unknown - my collection).

Hensall Junction signal box, L&YR.

The signalling diagram here, circa 1900 (Thanks to Mick Nicholson).

The H&BR had a loco shed at Hensall Junction, which gradually fell to bits, though a few bricks still remain. This photo taken in the late 1960s (W Ashton).

We turn south now, to the village of Pollington, where there's the Kings Head.

There was also the long vanished George & Dragon.

Pollington was nearly served by trains on the HB&GC line, at a station called Snaith & Pollington, but the line never opened to passengers. The platfors were built, but the public never stepped on them.

The HB&GC crossed the Aire & Calder Canal near Pollington, by means of this Scherzer rolling lift bridge, which never actually lifted!

Here's Pollington Lock on the Aire & Calder, one evening in 2006.

Westwards now to Great Heck. The H&B line passed through the village, but without stopping. Here, a 4-4-0 is seen on an express.

The North Eastern Railway did have a station, on the East Coast Main Line, but I have no photos that I can post. Great Heck, however, does have a decent pub, the Bay Horse, tied to Old Mill Brewery.

Back to the L&YR Goole to Knottngley line and Hensall station in pre-grouping days.

A DMU calls in 1983.

Here's Hensall signal box and its diagram.

In the village of Hensall, the parish church (Creative Common License).

Sadly, the Anchor at Hensall is no longer a pub.

Turning to the west again, we reach Whitley Bridge Junction on the L&YR line. Here, in January 1999, 56070 leaves the Eggborough Power Station branch (since closed) with an empty MGR service (Photo taken for me by Peter Foster).

There's not a lot at Whitley Bridge. The most striking ediface is this silo  (Creative Common License).

Whitley Bridge station is seen here in L&YR times.

A DMU calls on the infrequent passenger service.

Preserved LMS 'Black 5' no. 5305 passes the signal box in 1980.

The old milestone at Whitley Bridge  (Creative Common License).

Whitley village itself is to the south. Here's All Saints church  (Creative Common License).

We end this post at Whitley's pub, the George & Dragon......but NO real ale!

Oh well, that's it for now. Here's a map of the route so far. Next time, we'll be in West Yorkshire.

**I forgot about Kirk Smeaton, which will feature in a future post.