I'm sure you are wrong about the crossing on the road to Blue Mills and Benton Hall. I'm certain it used to be a brickwork bridge, like the one adjacent to the Langford station. The bridge was an arch top type because you could not see the junction a short while after the bridge. If you drove too fast and there was a queue of cars at the junction it was quite dangerous. I recall a later time I made the walk and a farmer had fenced it off a short while up the track bed, across the road from where you stood. Maybe some other ancient viewer like myself can confirm this. Last time I walked that line was in the early 1980s, there are a set of timber pile trestle bridges that were in a very poor state, part of the ammunition British Rail had to enforce the closure of the line I gusss, the bridges at the time were weak with age and the cost wasn't worth it to replace even though the line was supposedly profitable at the time. The trestle bridge at the Blackwater crossing (I think) was restored around 1990 and is marked as an ancient monument. I read a paperback booklet on the history of this railway many times and I recall the words of a councillor when they finally closed the line, "Future generations will curse us". How true a word. I have also ventured a bit further past maldon, towards Woodham. Some intetesting structures there. I live hundreds of miles away now so it was nice to see it again, very overgrown since my day. 👍👍👍
Thank you for watching and for the correction. I must say I was unsure about the crossing so am happy to know there was a bridge. That'd fascinating! It sure is ashame they closed the line I,like so many others,could've really done with using the trains on this line.
There is a map of the trail on the Internet. You can walk from Maldon by Railway Pond along the track bed. Take a diversion along the road at Langford then rejoin the path and follow the trackbed to Wickham Bishops. It does get a bit lost after then but I have seen the wooden viaduct recently. It can get a bit wet in places.
You can walk virtually the entire thing from witham station to maldon station. Where you met the road in the video. If you walk round onto the golf course. Behind the country club house there is a footpath that runs parallel, then under, then parallel then onto the track bed. Im local to the area so would be happy to show you if you havent found it allready :)
Did you ever find the route? I have cycled it twice, as best I could, just recently. On both occasions we started at Witham from Catholic Bridge, parking in Crittal road on the industrial estate. There are steps down from the bridge to the start of the trail. In the opposite direction from the bridge to Witham station is now a road on an industrial estate with nothing to see. I'd like to do it again but try and find the locations for Maldon East station (offices) and Maldon West (demolished). The first time I took the advice of the Blackwater rail trail and where you stopped took a right to the traffic lights and then left before a long diversion on the road that passes a nursery until taking a left down an aptly named 'Station road' to get back on course. We did briefly take a wrong turn alongside a river before realising we had to cross over the bridge and follow a farm track to a church, then bear to the left until you see a bridge. Take a right at the bridge and you will see the original train track that will take you to Maldon/Heybridge basin. As you walk along the farm track you will see a row of trees indicating the old route. There is a preferable route along the river that is on land owned by the golf club but is a right of way. Follow it and you will eventually come out on the road at Wickham Bishops. Before you do admire the two sections of wooden viaduct that are the last remaining examples in England and scheduled ancient monuments no less.
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I'm sure you are wrong about the crossing on the road to Blue Mills and Benton Hall. I'm certain it used to be a brickwork bridge, like the one adjacent to the Langford station. The bridge was an arch top type because you could not see the junction a short while after the bridge. If you drove too fast and there was a queue of cars at the junction it was quite dangerous. I recall a later time I made the walk and a farmer had fenced it off a short while up the track bed, across the road from where you stood. Maybe some other ancient viewer like myself can confirm this. Last time I walked that line was in the early 1980s, there are a set of timber pile trestle bridges that were in a very poor state, part of the ammunition British Rail had to enforce the closure of the line I gusss, the bridges at the time were weak with age and the cost wasn't worth it to replace even though the line was supposedly profitable at the time. The trestle bridge at the Blackwater crossing (I think) was restored around 1990 and is marked as an ancient monument.
I read a paperback booklet on the history of this railway many times and I recall the words of a councillor when they finally closed the line, "Future generations will curse us". How true a word.
I have also ventured a bit further past maldon, towards Woodham. Some intetesting structures there.
I live hundreds of miles away now so it was nice to see it again, very overgrown since my day. 👍👍👍
Thank you for watching and for the correction. I must say I was unsure about the crossing so am happy to know there was a bridge. That'd fascinating! It sure is ashame they closed the line I,like so many others,could've really done with using the trains on this line.
There is a map of the trail on the Internet. You can walk from Maldon by Railway Pond along the track bed. Take a diversion along the road at Langford then rejoin the path and follow the trackbed to Wickham Bishops. It does get a bit lost after then but I have seen the wooden viaduct recently. It can get a bit wet in places.
Thank you for your comment and wow I shall have to check that out soon! :]
You can walk virtually the entire thing from witham station to maldon station. Where you met the road in the video. If you walk round onto the golf course. Behind the country club house there is a footpath that runs parallel, then under, then parallel then onto the track bed. Im local to the area so would be happy to show you if you havent found it allready :)
Thank you very much that's amazing I'll have to try that out next time:)
Did you ever find the route? I have cycled it twice, as best I could, just recently. On both occasions we started at Witham from Catholic Bridge, parking in Crittal road on the industrial estate. There are steps down from the bridge to the start of the trail. In
the opposite direction from the bridge to Witham station is now a road on an industrial estate with nothing to see. I'd like to do it again but try and find the locations for Maldon East station (offices) and Maldon West (demolished).
The first time I took the advice of the Blackwater rail trail and where you stopped took a right to the traffic lights and then left before a long diversion on the road that passes a nursery until taking a left down an aptly named 'Station road' to get back on course. We did briefly take a wrong turn alongside a river before realising we had to cross over the bridge and follow a farm track to a church, then bear to the left until you see a bridge. Take a right at the bridge and you will see the original train track that will take you to Maldon/Heybridge basin. As you walk along the farm track you will see a row of trees indicating the old route.
There is a preferable route along the river that is on land owned by the golf club but is a right of way. Follow it and you will eventually come out on the road at Wickham Bishops. Before you do admire the two sections of wooden viaduct that are the last remaining examples in England and scheduled ancient monuments no less.