Edenham & Little Bytham Railway
Encyclopedia
The Edenham & Little Bytham Railway was a railway company formed by Lord Willoughby de Eresby to build a line from the Great Northern Railway
at Little Bytham
to Edenham
, serving the villages of Edenham
and Grimsthorpe
and also Grimsthorpe Castle
in Lincolnshire
, England
.
|}
inspections. It passed its third inspection but severe speed restrictions were imposed, as low as 8 miles per hour (3.6 m/s) in some places.
The E&LBR worked the line themselves as the GNR refused to operate it. The line opened on 8 December 1857 and was originally worked by steam locomotives. The line struggled, with passengers services being particularly unprofitable.
In 1863 the passenger service comprised 5 trains each way Mondays to Saturdays, taking about 17 minutes to cover the 4 miles, and no service on Sundays. Passenger services ceased on 17 October 1871, because the locomotives were worn out and the company could not afford to replace them. A freight service of sorts lingered on using horse traction until 1884, when the line closed.
In 1889, the Eastern & Midland Railway (later part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
) were surveying a route between Little Bytham and Bourne and considered building from Bourne
to near Edenham and reopening part of the E&LBR, as this would avoid the expense of Toft tunnel, but rejected it in favour of the more direct route.
A history of the line was recently published by the castle.
to Witham on the Hill
road crossed the line by means of a road overbridge which still exists at . The Little Bytham to Edenham
public footpath runs next to the trackbed from to . Another public footpath leaves the Little Bytham to Witham road at and runs along the trackbed as it approaches Little Bytham station. The path then turns north and rejoins the same road at . The public footpath from Edenham to Swinstead
leaves the A151 road
at Edenham at and immediately passes through the site of Edenham station, now Copy Lawn Farm.
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
at Little Bytham
Little Bytham railway station
Little Bytham railway station was a station in Little Bytham, Lincolnshire on the Great Northern Railway main line. It closed in 1959. The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway crossed just north of the station. The GNR were given powers to build a junction but never did so. The nearest station...
to Edenham
Edenham railway station
Edenham railway station was a station in Edenham, Lincolnshire. It was the terminus of a four mile branch line from the Great Northern Railway at Little Bytham. The line was built and operated by the Edenham & Little Bytham Railway . It was opened on 8 December 1857. The station closed to...
, serving the villages of Edenham
Edenham
Edenham is a village in Lincolnshire, England situated about north-west of Bourne on the A151. The village is part of the civil parish of Edenham Grimsthorpe Elsthorpe & Scottlethorpe.-The Village:...
and Grimsthorpe
Grimsthorpe
Grimsthorpe is a hamlet in Lincolnshire, England situated about north-west of Bourne on the A151. It falls within the parish of Edenham Grimsthorpe Elsthorpe & Scottlethorpe.Nearby is Grimsthorpe Castle....
and also Grimsthorpe Castle
Grimsthorpe Castle
Grimsthorpe Castle is a country house in Lincolnshire, England four miles north-west of Bourne on the A151. It lies within a 3,000 acre park of rolling pastures, lakes, and woodland landscaped by Capability Brown...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
|}
History
The standard of construction left something to be desired, and as a result the line failed its first two Board of TradeBoard of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
inspections. It passed its third inspection but severe speed restrictions were imposed, as low as 8 miles per hour (3.6 m/s) in some places.
The E&LBR worked the line themselves as the GNR refused to operate it. The line opened on 8 December 1857 and was originally worked by steam locomotives. The line struggled, with passengers services being particularly unprofitable.
In 1863 the passenger service comprised 5 trains each way Mondays to Saturdays, taking about 17 minutes to cover the 4 miles, and no service on Sundays. Passenger services ceased on 17 October 1871, because the locomotives were worn out and the company could not afford to replace them. A freight service of sorts lingered on using horse traction until 1884, when the line closed.
In 1889, the Eastern & Midland Railway (later part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
) were surveying a route between Little Bytham and Bourne and considered building from Bourne
Bourne railway station
Bourne was a railway station serving the town of Bourne in Lincolnshire which opened in 1860 and closed to passengers in 1959.-History:The station was on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway main line between the Midlands and the Norfolk Coast. it was finally closed in 1959 when the M&GN...
to near Edenham and reopening part of the E&LBR, as this would avoid the expense of Toft tunnel, but rejected it in favour of the more direct route.
A history of the line was recently published by the castle.
Remains and access
The Little BythamLittle Bytham
Little Bytham is a small village in South Kesteven in south Lincolnshire, situated between Corby Glen and Stamford on the B1176, which is straddled by brick railway viaducts of the East Coast Main Line as the road passes through the village.On the edge of the village to the east is the West Glen...
to Witham on the Hill
Witham on the Hill
Witham on the Hill is a in the civil parish of the same name, in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:The village is between the and west tributaries of the River Glen, and despite its name, is not on the top of its 'hill', which reaches a peak one mile west towards...
road crossed the line by means of a road overbridge which still exists at . The Little Bytham to Edenham
Edenham
Edenham is a village in Lincolnshire, England situated about north-west of Bourne on the A151. The village is part of the civil parish of Edenham Grimsthorpe Elsthorpe & Scottlethorpe.-The Village:...
public footpath runs next to the trackbed from to . Another public footpath leaves the Little Bytham to Witham road at and runs along the trackbed as it approaches Little Bytham station. The path then turns north and rejoins the same road at . The public footpath from Edenham to Swinstead
Swinstead
Swinstead is a small village of just over 100 households, located 5 miles west of Bourne in southern Lincolnshire. Although close to Bourne and Stamford , it lies in the Grantham post code....
leaves the A151 road
A151 road
The A151 road is relatively minor part of the British road system. It lies entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Its western end lies at coordinates otherwise, 1...
at Edenham at and immediately passes through the site of Edenham station, now Copy Lawn Farm.
Timetable for February 1863
The tables below shows the train service on weekdays in February 1863. The trains were timed to connect with main line trains at Little Bytham for travel south to Peterborough, London, etc or north to Grantham, York, etc.| Station | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edenham | dep | 08.30 | 10.15 | 11.40 | 14.25 | 16.55 |
| Little Bytham | arr | 08.47 | 10.32 | 11.57 | 14.42 | 17.12 |
| Little Bytham | dep | 08.52 | 12.02 | 17.30 | ||
| Peterborough | arr | 09.30 | 12.40 | 18.10 | ||
| London Kings Cross | arr | 12.30 | 15.30 | 21.20 | ||
| Little Bytham | dep | 10.42 | 14.45 | 17.14 | ||
| Grantham | arr | 11.23 | 15.15 | 17.48 |
| Station | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grantham | dep | 08.25 | 11.25 | 17.00 | ||
| Little Bytham | arr | 08.52 | 12.02 | 17.30 | ||
| London Kings Cross | dep | 07.40 | 11.15 | 13.40 | ||
| Peterborough | dep | 10.05 | 14.10 | 16.38 | ||
| Little Bytham | arr | 10.42 | 14.45 | 17.14 | ||
| Little Bytham | dep | 08.57 | 10.45 | 12.05 | 14.50 | 17.35 |
| Edenham | arr | 09.14 | 11.02 | 12.22 | 15.07 | 17.52 |