Amazing how nature reclaims things! Two very different but equally beautiful bridges both almost lost to view and overgrown. This is certainly a gem of a video. Almost a look at a world after the apocalypse.
Thanks for watching. It was such an important video for me personally as well. I was recovering from a nasty attack of covid and it was the first time I had been out properly in months! It's a walk I still enjoy often and I am glad to say the council do tidy it up about once a year so it doesn't disappear completely. The bridge over the midland line is still there but has suffered terribly since that video, frost damage, water ingress and tree roots are taking their toll.
GCR was fab from conception, big mistake closing the route. Looking at a map, it essentially runs through the heart of England and was built for rapid travel. We invented practical railway operation, but don't make better use of them anymore. The places shown survive because they are isolated by nature in rural time, off the beaten track! An interesting exploration, thanks for sharing.🙂👍
I totally agree it was a wonderful design that today would be a much used line especially around Leicester where our roads are congested. unfortunately as you say for some reason we do not use our resources well in this country.
I think the words 'occupation crossing' are the traditional ones for farm access. Loved the GC, my father having been a Leicester man. He shewed me all the transport sights in the area that are now gone. We were on the last-day train to Marylebone behind 'Elder Dempster Lines'.
Thank you for watching and I will make sure I use that term in future it does sound better. I never saw the GCR running but I am sure it was fantastic.
I remember me, and my and dad driving all the way from Plymouth to gateshead in the north east in 1972, and passing through brackley, and picking up the m1 motorway and seeing the empty railway track and some of the stations, obviously before the vegitation claimed the route, and the railway ran along with the m1 motorway for about 9 miles .i was born in 1967, now live in reading, but a happy childhood memory for me.i remember watching the trackbed pass in the car, and it would disappear for a while and then finally cross over the motorway.this is fantastic to help me remember my childhood.
It's slowly being reclaimed by nature. Some bits are better than others and some of the bridges are in great condition considering! Glad you enjoyed the video👍
Hi Middy, have liked and subscribed due entirely to the fact that I find these videos tremendously informative and great for ideas to explore. I used to live over in Melton Mowbray, where there is a lot of railway exploring to do if you want some ideas. I now live in Lincolnshire but do have the time to get down to Leicester (semi-retired - lucky me), so will use my time profitably. The GCR looks like a tremendous source of exploring material, so looking forward to it.
Middy, what a fabulous piece of nostalgic history. I too love the GCR, and the history of it. Thank you for posting this for everyone to enjoy.Well done my friend.( Rich, Blaby Leicester)
Thank you I am hoping to post more videos on the Great Central Railway over the next few weeks (lock down allowing!) Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching 👍
This GCR bridge is very similar to the bridges built in 1890-91 by the M.R. on the Saxby - Bourne Line. That Line starts at Syston, goes through Melton Mowbray and Saxby which is where the Bourne Line diverges with 45 Bridges - many similar to this. Whereas this has a semi-circular arch, many on the Bourne Line have 'Elliptical' Brick arches up to a span of 28ft. You choose some very interesting walks. Thanks for posting it on-line.
I remember discovering this when walking the dog which lead me to being obsessed with finding the routes and history of the midland and gcr routes through South Leicestershire. I drive a cab around Whetstone so know the area well
When the GC closed as a through route in 1966 I believe BR had to keep the Rugby to Nottingham via Leicester section open because of the closure of the Midland Rugby to Leicester line in 1962, the GC section closed in 1969, the M1 motorway was built after the Midland line closed so it didn’t need bridging by the M1.
Thank you for watching and yes that makes more sense! A proper voyage of discovery following these old lines as there seems to be many stages of closure. Someone suggested to me that the line is almost clear and could reopen easily! not quite the case!
The bridges for farm access are called accommodation bridges, the canal builders made them first. I used to walkmy dog along that stretch of the track bed and remember finding the remains of the Leicester to rugby line. There's also a bridge over it on lutterworth rd.
Hi, have done this journey today and totally agree that it was well worth it. The bridge at the GCR/Midland crossing is magnificent and I loved the expanse of the trackbed too.
Thank you and thanks for watching. Yes I am very lucky that there is still quite a lot of the GCR infrastructure upto Leicester. Some hidd n gems yet to be found as well 👍
Thank you for watching and I totally agree especially when you think most of these have been stood out there since the mid 1800s and now have little or no maintenance. More videos are on the way very soon. Thank you again for watching.
Fascinating, intriguing and with an innate sense of enthusiasm from the narrator. Having ploughed up and down the M1 for decades (and crossed the M1 further north walking along the old GCR alignment to the north of Cosby), please allow me to thank you for filling in the gap between where I reached (golf club) and the Lutterworth site further south.
This is brilliant! I've recently discovered this and I'm just waiting for the weather to pickup a bit, before I walk it. I didn't know about your "mistaken bridge", but that's definitely worth a look too. Thanks for posting. Great video.
So, what is that beautiful 'ellipse' three Arched bridge at 19:12 ? When you find a bridge do see if you can find its number - usually on a circular or ovoid plate attached - sometimes merely painted on. Then find out what the bridge was (this certainly looks like Railway from the 1890's) and the number will be an indication of just where the bridge is along the Line. Nice bit of history here. Thanks for up-loading.
Thank you for watching. The bridge in question carried a farm access and public footpath across the Midland Line just south of the GCR/Midland Crossing. I often look for the bridge numbers but often these are unreadable or vandalised especially on these rural lines. This particular bridge is a personal favourite of mine as it initially caught me out when i was looking for the crossing but mainly because it is so photogenic and unspoilt. More coming from the GCR very soon but this time further south and also from the middle of leicester where odd bits survive.
Nice video mate, I should get out and try and walk the route of the GCR myself. The GCR closed long before I was even born, but its closure still infuriates me
Thank you. I still get sad/angry every time I walk on the GCR it was such a short sighted closure as it would have been so busy now especially into Leicester. Someone told me apparently it was supposed to be mothballed rather than destroyed which tbh would have made more sense. Thank you for watching and there will be more videos from the GCR in the near future 👍
Thank you and thanks for watching. One of my favourite videos tbh. I was recovering from covid and was allowed out so it sticks in the mind! Lots more from the GCR on my channel👍
As long ago as 1955, the Ministry of Transport was planning the M1, and was even thinking of converting the railway. What would have happened at Catesby Tunnel has never been revealed. There are two reasons why the line never realised its full potential. First, the situation in Europe early last century was volatile, and that was probably why the Channel Tunnel was never built. Second, under British Railways management, the line was transferred from the Eastern Region to the London Midland Region early in 1958; the latter had no use for the line. Not only that, the regions could not co-ordinate, so the Woodford Halse to Banbury link was underused. Had they co-ordinated, we would have still had a key North to South link avoiding London. Some people would say that the London extension was not necessary. However, if we accept that the Woodford to Banbury link was desirable, this would mean that only the Woodford to Aylesbury section was not needed, but seeing that these towns are barely 20 miles apart, the cost was small, relative to the cost of the London extension. In any case the link south to Aylesbury was part of the proposed Channel Tunnel link, and there would have to be stations in London, so that stretch was ultimately necessary.
Fascinating videos - my Grandparents were crossing keepers on the LMS line between Blaby and Narborough at Whetstone. Spent many summers there trainspotting where the GCR crossed the LMS. I have several photos of the area including the station. It's all changed now.
sadly whetstone station is all gone and the railway is just a memory. the other lines in the area are still partially here but most were ripped up in the 60's
Would be absolutely hilarious if you later discover the reason for the demise of the GCR was that the line went to single track to go under that bridge you found at 5:45. There are other lines still in use that go to single track in the most stupidest of places, the north Cotswolds line being one of them where the silliest bit of single track goes through a brand new station and the worcester to hereford bit is a joke. There is also the infamous Welwyn bottleneck where a station is placed (believe it's Welwyn north) in just the wrong place to cause maximum chaos. Such a waste seeing those magnificent bridges left to rot and decay.
does the brick arch bridge carry shuttleworth lane over the midland line? i love to watch videos like yours whilst also having google earth on and side by side georeferenced maps open in other windows so i can get a feel for where we are in the landscape. i'm a GCR "fan" also by way of being a kid in nottingham during the 70's, and living at the time near the then abandoned, but not completely gone GCR line through bulwell, wish i'd asked for a camera for xmas during those times!
Thank you for watching and i wish you had a camera then as well! No, Shuttleworth Lane is the next bridge going towards Leire the arch bridge I filmed on this one is a agricultural access (and my favourite undiscovered gem!). I am uploading videos over the next few weeks that are all GCR related so it would be good to have you along for the ride!! I am hoping to eventually go to Nottingham and beyond as well as further south but until I can its mainly the Leicester sections. I am also completing my journey along the old midland line which takes me into Leicester and out to Rugby.
@@MiddyExplores thanks for the reply! i can tell you that in central Nottingham there are just fragments of the GCR left now, apart from the site of victoria station, so it is nice to see how much still survives when you get away from the cities.
Video coming up very soon but i am sad to say it's not in the best condition. Very sad that this section of the GCR wasn't preserved and used as a walk into Leicester but for whatever reason it got left. Would have a been a lovely local attraction.
I've had a thing for the G.C. For many years! Too many some would say! In my opinion the Great Central was a Victim of circumstances had the World Wars not happened would the G.C. Have flourished? Maybe it would maybe it would have been worse off! The original Channel tunnel was started and Vetoed in 1880 atleast 15 years before the GCML was started as it was started in 1895 or 1896 (my memory isn't what it used to be) if the Railways had worked together better the Great Central would still be with us! I'd love to say it would but sadly at the time many of the places it served were either Villages or Hamlets Bar Brackley, Woodford & Lutterworth many would love to see a station reopened in Lutterworth but sadly some of the original alignment has been lost personally I'd love to see a Great Central Main Line Reopening but sadly I don't think we ever will even with the East Coast, West Coast and Midland Mainline's bursting at the seams they'd rather build HS2 and take some pressure off the East & West Coast! I am one that thinks the GCML should never have closed! It should have been either Downgraded to a Freight Only line and use as a Diversionary route! Or Placed in Mothballs until the economy picked up! I always think a Mainline like the GC should Never be closed under any circumstance! Whether it was seen as (what's the word I'm looking for?) A Clone of the Midland Mainline well it just wasn't one of the Major Hurdles on reopening of the GCML is the slight fact that Brackley Viaduct now lays in bits under Milton Keynes as it was Blown up and used as hardcore for the Construction! It did give up a fight for survival they detonated the explosives it rose up and then settled back down again from memory it took 3 or 4 attempts to get it down
Thank you for watching and for the information. I too agree it was a victim of circumstance and a desire by some to build roads and sell cars... Not all agree but the evidence, for me anyway, is overwhelming. A sad end to a beautifully built railway that would have given years of service but was cut off at it's prime. I think mothballed would have been the correct way and then cut out the stations that weren't needed along the route, some of which were never going to turn any profit. The alignment has been built on all over and would prevent a sensible reopening without spending masses of money on compulsory purchase or redirection. A sad loss that will remain permanent despite the many rumours.
Hi thank you for watching. Yes it's a public footpath. If you follow the a426 to the outskirts of Whetstone and turn left onto the Countesthorpe road follow the road towards Cosby. You will go under the M1 and the old GCR road bridge is after it. You can park there and get straight onto the path. 👍
Thank you for watching . If you park where the GCR crosses the Countesthorpe road just outside Cosby the footpath is just the other side of the bridge. If you use the what3words app. its dance.pile.minus it really is a lovely walk. I hope this helps.
@@MiddyExplores thank you. I plan a trip very soon. I am so intrigued by the GCR especially the stretch from Leicester to Rugby. I live near Finmere station which has very recently met it maker in the form of HS2. Double span bridge south of Finmere station just been removed. Over 100 years of history gone overnight. Be great to meet you one day maybe. Great vids.
Moving to Leicester taught me about the GWR
Amazing how nature reclaims things! Two very different but equally beautiful bridges both almost lost to view and overgrown. This is certainly a gem of a video. Almost a look at a world after the apocalypse.
Thanks for watching. It was such an important video for me personally as well. I was recovering from a nasty attack of covid and it was the first time I had been out properly in months! It's a walk I still enjoy often and I am glad to say the council do tidy it up about once a year so it doesn't disappear completely. The bridge over the midland line is still there but has suffered terribly since that video, frost damage, water ingress and tree roots are taking their toll.
GCR was fab from conception, big mistake closing the route.
Looking at a map, it essentially runs through the heart of England and was built for rapid travel.
We invented practical railway operation, but don't make better use of them anymore.
The places shown survive because they are isolated by nature in rural time, off the beaten track!
An interesting exploration, thanks for sharing.🙂👍
I totally agree it was a wonderful design that today would be a much used line especially around Leicester where our roads are congested. unfortunately as you say for some reason we do not use our resources well in this country.
I think the words 'occupation crossing' are the traditional ones for farm access. Loved the GC, my father having been a Leicester man. He shewed me all the transport sights in the area that are now gone. We were on the last-day train to Marylebone behind 'Elder Dempster Lines'.
Thank you for watching and I will make sure I use that term in future it does sound better. I never saw the GCR running but I am sure it was fantastic.
I remember me, and my and dad driving all the way from Plymouth to gateshead in the north east in 1972, and passing through brackley, and picking up the m1 motorway and seeing the empty railway track and some of the stations, obviously before the vegitation claimed the route, and the railway ran along with the m1 motorway for about 9 miles .i was born in 1967, now live in reading, but a happy childhood memory for me.i remember watching the trackbed pass in the car, and it would disappear for a while and then finally cross over the motorway.this is fantastic to help me remember my childhood.
It's slowly being reclaimed by nature. Some bits are better than others and some of the bridges are in great condition considering! Glad you enjoyed the video👍
Hi Middy, have liked and subscribed due entirely to the fact that I find these videos tremendously informative and great for ideas to explore. I used to live over in Melton Mowbray, where there is a lot of railway exploring to do if you want some ideas. I now live in Lincolnshire but do have the time to get down to Leicester (semi-retired - lucky me), so will use my time profitably. The GCR looks like a tremendous source of exploring material, so looking forward to it.
Middy, what a fabulous piece of nostalgic history. I too love the GCR, and the history of it. Thank you for posting this for everyone to enjoy.Well done my friend.( Rich, Blaby Leicester)
Thank you I am hoping to post more videos on the Great Central Railway over the next few weeks (lock down allowing!) Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching 👍
This GCR bridge is very similar to the bridges built in 1890-91 by the M.R. on the Saxby - Bourne Line. That Line starts at Syston, goes through Melton Mowbray and Saxby which is where the Bourne Line diverges with 45 Bridges - many similar to this. Whereas this has a semi-circular arch, many on the Bourne Line have 'Elliptical' Brick arches up to a span of 28ft. You choose some very interesting walks. Thanks for posting it on-line.
I will lokk more into the Bourne Line in the future. Thank you.
I remember discovering this when walking the dog which lead me to being obsessed with finding the routes and history of the midland and gcr routes through South Leicestershire. I drive a cab around Whetstone so know the area well
I did exactly the same when walking my dog through whetstone and found the three arches in whetstone! Started me on this whole journey!!
When the GC closed as a through route in 1966 I believe BR had to keep the Rugby to Nottingham via Leicester section open because of the closure of the Midland Rugby to Leicester line in 1962, the GC section closed in 1969, the M1 motorway was built after the Midland line closed so it didn’t need bridging by the M1.
Thank you for watching and yes that makes more sense! A proper voyage of discovery following these old lines as there seems to be many stages of closure. Someone suggested to me that the line is almost clear and could reopen easily! not quite the case!
The bridges for farm access are called accommodation bridges, the canal builders made them first. I used to walkmy dog along that stretch of the track bed and remember finding the remains of the Leicester to rugby line. There's also a bridge over it on lutterworth rd.
Thank you for watching and thank you for the info. Yes I made a video of the lutterworth road bridge which is on my channel, a real beauty.👍
Hi, have done this journey today and totally agree that it was well worth it. The bridge at the GCR/Midland crossing is magnificent and I loved the expanse of the trackbed too.
It really is a beauty and it's hard to imagine it hasn't seen any traffic now for over 50 years ☹️
A terrific find and the bridge, as you say is in such good condition.
Thank you and thanks for watching. Yes I am very lucky that there is still quite a lot of the GCR infrastructure upto Leicester. Some hidd n gems yet to be found as well 👍
Thank you for sharing your walk love the old bridges they don't make them like that x
Thank you for watching and I totally agree especially when you think most of these have been stood out there since the mid 1800s and now have little or no maintenance. More videos are on the way very soon. Thank you again for watching.
I love the GC. I'm not sure why but I do. I love seeing these videos.
Thank you for watching and there is something magical about the old GCR
@@MiddyExplores indeed there is, standing on any trackbed you get a sense of a times gone by.
Fascinating, intriguing and with an innate sense of enthusiasm from the narrator. Having ploughed up and down the M1 for decades (and crossed the M1 further north walking along the old GCR alignment to the north of Cosby), please allow me to thank you for filling in the gap between where I reached (golf club) and the Lutterworth site further south.
Thank you so much and thank you for watching. I have been a bit quiet lately but plan to go further along the GCR in the near future 👍
wow, some hidden gems and fairly close by. Love those bridges! They really did build some marvels back in the day
thank you for watching. Yes there are marvels all around us if we look! Glad you enjoyed it more contect coming soon
This is brilliant! I've recently discovered this and I'm just waiting for the weather to pickup a bit, before I walk it. I didn't know about your "mistaken bridge", but that's definitely worth a look too. Thanks for posting. Great video.
Thanks for watching. Still one of my favourite walks. Plenty to enjoy along that path👍
So, what is that beautiful 'ellipse' three Arched bridge at 19:12 ? When you find a bridge do see if you can find its number - usually on a circular or ovoid plate attached - sometimes merely painted on. Then find out what the bridge was (this certainly looks like Railway from the 1890's) and the number will be an indication of just where the bridge is along the Line. Nice bit of history here. Thanks for up-loading.
Thank you for watching. The bridge in question carried a farm access and public footpath across the Midland Line just south of the GCR/Midland Crossing. I often look for the bridge numbers but often these are unreadable or vandalised especially on these rural lines. This particular bridge is a personal favourite of mine as it initially caught me out when i was looking for the crossing but mainly because it is so photogenic and unspoilt. More coming from the GCR very soon but this time further south and also from the middle of leicester where odd bits survive.
Nice video mate, I should get out and try and walk the route of the GCR myself. The GCR closed long before I was even born, but its closure still infuriates me
Thank you. I still get sad/angry every time I walk on the GCR it was such a short sighted closure as it would have been so busy now especially into Leicester. Someone told me apparently it was supposed to be mothballed rather than destroyed which tbh would have made more sense. Thank you for watching and there will be more videos from the GCR in the near future 👍
thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Thank you and thanks for watching. One of my favourite videos tbh. I was recovering from covid and was allowed out so it sticks in the mind! Lots more from the GCR on my channel👍
As long ago as 1955, the Ministry of Transport was planning the M1, and was even thinking of converting the railway. What would have happened at Catesby Tunnel has never been revealed. There are two reasons why the line never realised its full potential. First, the situation in Europe early last century was volatile, and that was probably why the Channel Tunnel was never built. Second, under British Railways management, the line was transferred from the Eastern Region to the London Midland Region early in 1958; the latter had no use for the line. Not only that, the regions could not co-ordinate, so the Woodford Halse to Banbury link was underused. Had they co-ordinated, we would have still had a key North to South link avoiding London. Some people would say that the London extension was not necessary. However, if we accept that the Woodford to Banbury link was desirable, this would mean that only the Woodford to Aylesbury section was not needed, but seeing that these towns are barely 20 miles apart, the cost was small, relative to the cost of the London extension. In any case the link south to Aylesbury was part of the proposed Channel Tunnel link, and there would have to be stations in London, so that stretch was ultimately necessary.
Brilliant! New place to explore.Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Fascinating videos - my Grandparents were crossing keepers on the LMS line between Blaby and Narborough at Whetstone. Spent many summers there trainspotting where the GCR crossed the LMS. I have several photos of the area including the station. It's all changed now.
sadly whetstone station is all gone and the railway is just a memory. the other lines in the area are still partially here but most were ripped up in the 60's
Would be absolutely hilarious if you later discover the reason for the demise of the GCR was that the line went to single track to go under that bridge you found at 5:45. There are other lines still in use that go to single track in the most stupidest of places, the north Cotswolds line being one of them where the silliest bit of single track goes through a brand new station and the worcester to hereford bit is a joke. There is also the infamous Welwyn bottleneck where a station is placed (believe it's Welwyn north) in just the wrong place to cause maximum chaos. Such a waste seeing those magnificent bridges left to rot and decay.
Thanks for watching and I agree it's such a shame to see these once glorious structures being left to decay and be forgotten.
Excellent
Thank you and thanks for watching 👍
Nice middy keep up the good work.👍
Thanks, will do!
Cracking video once again mate! Looking forward to more stuff from you 👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks Buddy. Loads of plans for new films not just railways...
Brilliant video! I'll have to check this place out sometime!
You should!
Awesome video. Great channel! Duly subscribed 👍
Thank you! There is more videos on the way in the near future. Unfortunately lock down has slowed the process somewhat! Thank you for subscribing 👍
does the brick arch bridge carry shuttleworth lane over the midland line? i love to watch videos like yours whilst also having google earth on and side by side georeferenced maps open in other windows so i can get a feel for where we are in the landscape. i'm a GCR "fan" also by way of being a kid in nottingham during the 70's, and living at the time near the then abandoned, but not completely gone GCR line through bulwell, wish i'd asked for a camera for xmas during those times!
Thank you for watching and i wish you had a camera then as well! No, Shuttleworth Lane is the next bridge going towards Leire the arch bridge I filmed on this one is a agricultural access (and my favourite undiscovered gem!). I am uploading videos over the next few weeks that are all GCR related so it would be good to have you along for the ride!! I am hoping to eventually go to Nottingham and beyond as well as further south but until I can its mainly the Leicester sections. I am also completing my journey along the old midland line which takes me into Leicester and out to Rugby.
@@MiddyExplores thanks for the reply! i can tell you that in central Nottingham there are just fragments of the GCR left now, apart from the site of victoria station, so it is nice to see how much still survives when you get away from the cities.
@@almonkey1 unfortunately Leicester is very similar although I have found some gems for a future video 👍
Whetstone Viaduct is an amazing structure should be preserved as local heritage
13 arches
Video coming up very soon but i am sad to say it's not in the best condition. Very sad that this section of the GCR wasn't preserved and used as a walk into Leicester but for whatever reason it got left. Would have a been a lovely local attraction.
@@MiddyExplores canal bridge should be reinstated and finish the walk off real shame
Thumbs up fella!
thank you means a lot after the last couple of months
@@MiddyExplores I'll see you up there very soon, plans afoot 😉
Middy. Hoping to do that walk to that bridge in a few weeks time. How far is the walk please.
It's not that far from where you park I would say less than a mile.
Middy - search TH-cam for Fly Muzza - he does Google Earth ariels Leicester to Whetstone and Whetstone to Rugby along the old GCR
Thanks I will check that out
I've had a thing for the G.C. For many years! Too many some would say! In my opinion the Great Central was a Victim of circumstances had the World Wars not happened would the G.C. Have flourished? Maybe it would maybe it would have been worse off! The original Channel tunnel was started and Vetoed in 1880 atleast 15 years before the GCML was started as it was started in 1895 or 1896 (my memory isn't what it used to be) if the Railways had worked together better the Great Central would still be with us! I'd love to say it would but sadly at the time many of the places it served were either Villages or Hamlets Bar Brackley, Woodford & Lutterworth many would love to see a station reopened in Lutterworth but sadly some of the original alignment has been lost personally I'd love to see a Great Central Main Line Reopening but sadly I don't think we ever will even with the East Coast, West Coast and Midland Mainline's bursting at the seams they'd rather build HS2 and take some pressure off the East & West Coast! I am one that thinks the GCML should never have closed! It should have been either Downgraded to a Freight Only line and use as a Diversionary route! Or Placed in Mothballs until the economy picked up! I always think a Mainline like the GC should Never be closed under any circumstance! Whether it was seen as (what's the word I'm looking for?) A Clone of the Midland Mainline well it just wasn't one of the Major Hurdles on reopening of the GCML is the slight fact that Brackley Viaduct now lays in bits under Milton Keynes as it was Blown up and used as hardcore for the Construction! It did give up a fight for survival they detonated the explosives it rose up and then settled back down again from memory it took 3 or 4 attempts to get it down
Thank you for watching and for the information. I too agree it was a victim of circumstance and a desire by some to build roads and sell cars... Not all agree but the evidence, for me anyway, is overwhelming. A sad end to a beautifully built railway that would have given years of service but was cut off at it's prime. I think mothballed would have been the correct way and then cut out the stations that weren't needed along the route, some of which were never going to turn any profit. The alignment has been built on all over and would prevent a sensible reopening without spending masses of money on compulsory purchase or redirection. A sad loss that will remain permanent despite the many rumours.
how do we find this from rugby direction (park car?)please and are we allowed to walk along it?
Hi thank you for watching. Yes it's a public footpath. If you follow the a426 to the outskirts of Whetstone and turn left onto the Countesthorpe road follow the road towards Cosby. You will go under the M1 and the old GCR road bridge is after it. You can park there and get straight onto the path. 👍
Where can I park to gain access to that walk. I see that iron bridge from the M1 but always wonder if it is accessable.
Thank you for watching . If you park where the GCR crosses the Countesthorpe road just outside Cosby the footpath is just the other side of the bridge. If you use the what3words app. its dance.pile.minus it really is a lovely walk. I hope this helps.
@@MiddyExplores thank you. I plan a trip very soon. I am so intrigued by the GCR especially the stretch from Leicester to Rugby. I live near Finmere station which has very recently met it maker in the form of HS2. Double span bridge south of Finmere station just been removed. Over 100 years of history gone overnight. Be great to meet you one day maybe. Great vids.
I wonder if HS2 infrastructure will still be around in 100 years, you know after its been abandoned? Should never have been removed from service.
if it ever opens I doubt the infrastructure will last anywhere near the GCR!
They have all them factories lol sorry warehouses and no public transportation, you have buses on the motor way Incompetence that’s indescribable
Thanks for watching. Unfortunately when the railways were obliterated the wheels were set in motion on today's problems ☹️
You will find various photos online showing trains using the GCR with the M1 alongside in this area.
Thanks for watching. I have seen so many photos of this area from the M1 as it was so close.