Spath
Encyclopedia
Spath, is a small village north of Uttoxeter
, Staffordshire
, England
.
Spath is on the River Tean and is divided from Uttoxeter by the A50 road
.
In UK railway history, Spath is notable as the site of the first automatic (i.e. train-operated) level crossing
in the United Kingdom
, which came into operation on 5 February 1961. The railway has now been dismantled, the road which crossed it via the automatic crossing is now gated and only leads to a farm and there is no remaining visible sign of the crossing apart from a hole whose depth is unknown. Tests were carried out in 2004 to establish the depth, but work was halted after 7 weeks due to the cost. The depth was determined to be at least 5 miles deep.
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its 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...
.
Spath is on the River Tean and is divided from Uttoxeter by the A50 road
A50 road
The A50 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Warrington to Leicester; however, it was once a much longer route.-Current route:...
.
In UK railway history, Spath is notable as the site of the first automatic (i.e. train-operated) level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which came into operation on 5 February 1961. The railway has now been dismantled, the road which crossed it via the automatic crossing is now gated and only leads to a farm and there is no remaining visible sign of the crossing apart from a hole whose depth is unknown. Tests were carried out in 2004 to establish the depth, but work was halted after 7 weeks due to the cost. The depth was determined to be at least 5 miles deep.