Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway
Encyclopedia
The Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway, opened in 1846, ran between the towns of Clifton
and Bury
in what is now Greater Manchester
, and the district of Rossendale
in Lancashire
. The company merged with the Burnley, Accrington & Colne Extension Railway (BAC&ER) to form the East Lancashire Railway.
In the early 1840s the nearest railway to Bury was the Manchester and Bolton Railway
, at its closest through Stoneclough
almost 4.5 miles distant. This railway company had initially proposed to create a branch to Bury, but technical difficulties meant that the connection never materialised.
On 14 September 1843 a group of local businessmen, including John Grundy, Thomas Wrigley and John Robinson Kay met at a hostelry in Bury to discuss the creation of a railway connection for the town. The Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway Company was formed, its purpose to build a railway from Bury to a junction with the Manchester and Bolton Railway at Clifton. The company also promoted the idea of extending the line northwards to Rawtenstall
. In 1844 the company was incorporated by act of parliament, which authorized it to raise £300,000, and to borrow £100,000.
Another company, the Burnley, Accrington & Colne Extension Railway, proposed to extend the line from Stubbins
Junction to meet the Preston
to Burnley
route at Accrington
. The two companies joined on 24 July 1845 to form the East Lancashire Railway The new route, through the Irwell Valley
, was surveyed on 23 September 1846 by Charles Pasley
. Construction was completed quickly; William Harrison wrote "The railway was speedily completed and was opened for traffic on 28th September 1846", however men were asked to work on Sunday
, and several were charged with breaking Sabbath.
The route through the Irwell Valley
was surveyed by Chief Inspector of Railways Major General Sir Charles W. Pasley on 23 September 1846. The railway began from a junction with the Manchester and Bolton Railway, in Clifton. It ran northeast through Molyneux Brow station
, Ringley Road station
, Radcliffe Bridge
, Withins station, and into Bury Bolton street station
.
Clifton, Greater Manchester
Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley in the northern part of the City of Salford....
and Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
in what is now Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, and the district of Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. The company merged with the Burnley, Accrington & Colne Extension Railway (BAC&ER) to form the East Lancashire Railway.
History
Manchester and Bolton Railway
The Manchester and Bolton Railway was a railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England, connecting Salford to Bolton. It was built by the proprietors of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway Company who had in 1831 converted from a canal company...
, at its closest through Stoneclough
Stoneclough
Stoneclough is a suburban area of Kearsley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the banks of the River Irwell to the southeast of Bolton....
almost 4.5 miles distant. This railway company had initially proposed to create a branch to Bury, but technical difficulties meant that the connection never materialised.
On 14 September 1843 a group of local businessmen, including John Grundy, Thomas Wrigley and John Robinson Kay met at a hostelry in Bury to discuss the creation of a railway connection for the town. The Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway Company was formed, its purpose to build a railway from Bury to a junction with the Manchester and Bolton Railway at Clifton. The company also promoted the idea of extending the line northwards to Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
. In 1844 the company was incorporated by act of parliament, which authorized it to raise £300,000, and to borrow £100,000.
Another company, the Burnley, Accrington & Colne Extension Railway, proposed to extend the line from Stubbins
Stubbins
Stubbins is an industrial village in the southern part of the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire.It is half a mile north of Ramsbottom town centre on the A676 between Bolton and Edenfield. For local government purposes, it receives services from Rossendale Borough Council and Lancashire County Council...
Junction to meet the Preston
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
to Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
route at Accrington
Accrington
Accrington is a town in Lancashire, within the borough of Hyndburn. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, north of Manchester city centre and is situated on the mostly culverted River Hyndburn...
. The two companies joined on 24 July 1845 to form the East Lancashire Railway The new route, through the Irwell Valley
Irwell Valley
The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
, was surveyed on 23 September 1846 by Charles Pasley
Charles Pasley
General Sir Charles William Pasley KCB was a British soldier and military engineer who wrote the defining text on the role of the post-American revolution British Empire: An Essay on the Military Policy and Institutions of the British Empire, published in 1810. This text changed how Britons...
. Construction was completed quickly; William Harrison wrote "The railway was speedily completed and was opened for traffic on 28th September 1846", however men were asked to work on Sunday
Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day for worship of God and rest, due to the belief that it is Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection....
, and several were charged with breaking Sabbath.
Route
Irwell Valley
The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
was surveyed by Chief Inspector of Railways Major General Sir Charles W. Pasley on 23 September 1846. The railway began from a junction with the Manchester and Bolton Railway, in Clifton. It ran northeast through Molyneux Brow station
Molyneux Brow railway station
Molyneux Brow Railway Station was a railway station built on the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway line, between Radcliffe and Clifton , in Greater Manchester.-History:...
, Ringley Road station
Ringley Road railway station
Ringley Road Railway Station was a railway station built on the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway line, between Radcliffe and Clifton , in Greater Manchester.-History:...
, Radcliffe Bridge
Radcliffe Bridge railway station
Radcliffe Bridge railway station was a Railway Station in Radcliffe built on the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway line, between Bury and Clifton, both in Greater Manchester...
, Withins station, and into Bury Bolton street station
Bury Bolton Street railway station
Bury Bolton Street railway station is a railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester.- History :It was formerly the main station serving the town, with links north to Ramsbottom, thence via Stubbins Junction either to Rawtenstall and Bacup or to Haslingden and Accrington; and south to Radcliffe...
.