Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
Encyclopedia
The “Ulverston
e”(sic) and Lancaster Railway Company was short-lived as a business but the line that it built is still in daily use. The line runs from Lindal-in-Furness
to Carnforth
where it joins what was then the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
. The intermediate stations are: Cark and Cartmel
, Kents Bank
, Grange-over-Sands
, Arnside
and Silverdale
.
, considering the route from Lancaster
to Carlisle and thence to Scotland, proposed a curved embankment across Morecambe Bay
between Poulton-le-Sands
(Morecambe
) and Humphrey Head
, then following the coast northwards. He was concerned that an inland route over the fells would involve dangerously steep slopes. He saw the viaduct as a national project and he intended that it would trap the silt in order to claim Morecambe Bay for agriculture.. In 1843, after considerable debate, this plan was shelved in favour of the present Shap Fell route..
Consequently, Furness, instead of finding the main line on its doorstep, had to make its own arrangements to join its local rail network to the national one. Any short connection southwards would necessarily involve a locally financed crossing of Morecambe Bay and this was a daunting prospect — the quicksands and fierce tides of the bay are still notorious. The 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster
reminded many people of the dangers. Nevertheless the iron miners needed a good connection in order to make their product competitive. The directors of the Furness Railway
were not in a hurry to take it on so it was promoted by John Brogden and Sons
, a Manchester
-based firm of railway contractors and promoters who had expanded into iron mining activity in the Furness area.
The Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway Act received the Royal Assent
in 1851. The directors were: John Brogden (sen.)
, John Brogden (jun.)
, Alexander Brogden
, Henry Brogden
, James Garstang (Alexander’s father-in-law) and Joseph Paxton
(later Sir Joseph).The line was planned by McClean
and Stileman at 19 miles in length of which ten miles comprised embankments, and viaducts across the tidal estuaries of the rivers Kent
and Leven. Much of this was sand running to a depth of 30 to 70 feet..
. Brunlees had already completed a similar project and went on to achieve great eminence. The viaducts were built by W & J Galloway & Sons
of Manchester. Brunlees and Galloway later collaborated on the Southport Pier
. The work was costly however and Brogdens had to ask the Furness Railway for financial assistance. As the Furness could not legally do this, two of their directors: the Earl of Burlington
and the Duke of Buccleuch
made a loan of £50,000 in their personal capacities. The line was opened on 26 August 1857. Gross expenditure was over £410,000 .
In 1858 the Brogdens approached the Furness Railway for a further loan as traffic on the U&L had not “come up to expectations”. However the FR insisted that they would only offer a loan if the U&L was sold to them so Brogdens declined this offer. In 1859-1860 the line began to pay its way. It was rumoured that the line would be sold to the London and North Western Railway
and in 1862 an agreement was made between the shareholders of the U&L and Furness. U&L shareholders received 5% preference stock
in the Furness Railway in return for their U&L shares, not a very large return considering that they had risked losing the money altogether. This railway link was critical to the later industrial development of Barrow-in-Furness
and its locality and mining interests . It also caused silt to build up in former tidal areas, creating new agricultural land.
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
e”(sic) and Lancaster Railway Company was short-lived as a business but the line that it built is still in daily use. The line runs from Lindal-in-Furness
Lindal-in-Furness
Lindal-in-Furness is a village on the Furness peninsula of Cumbria, England. It lies four miles to the east of Barrow-in-Furness, on the A590 trunk road....
to Carnforth
Carnforth railway station
Carnforth railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Carnforth in Lancashire. The building was designed by architect William Tite and was famously used as the location in the 1945 film Brief Encounter. It is now operated by TransPennine Express.-History:Carnforth station was...
where it joins what was then the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England...
. The intermediate stations are: Cark and Cartmel
Cark and Cartmel railway station
Cark and Cartmel railway station is a railway station that serves the villages of Cark, Flookburgh and Cartmel in Cumbria, England. It is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster....
, Kents Bank
Kents Bank railway station
Kents Bank railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Kents Bank in Cumbria. It is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster....
, Grange-over-Sands
Grange-over-Sands railway station
Grange-over-Sands railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria. It is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster. It is operated by First TransPennine Express....
, Arnside
Arnside railway station
Arnside railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Arnside in Cumbria, England.It is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster. It is operated by First TransPennine Express. A short distance west of the station, the railway crosses the Kent estuary on an...
and Silverdale
Silverdale railway station
Silverdale railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Silverdale in Lancashire.It is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster....
.
Background
In August 1837 George StephensonGeorge Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
, considering the route from Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
to Carlisle and thence to Scotland, proposed a curved embankment across Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310 km².-Natural features:The rivers Leven,...
between Poulton-le-Sands
Poulton-le-Sands
Poulton-le-Sands was one of three small villages that combined to create Morecambe. Poulton was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as Poltune. It later became Poulton and remained this way for a number of centuries. It was towards the end of the eighteenth or the beginning of the nineteenth...
(Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
) and Humphrey Head
Humphrey Head
Humphrey Head is a limestone outcrop situated between the villages of Allithwaite and Flookburgh. It is whale back-shaped and accessible for walkers, giving views over Morecambe Bay to Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and over the Leven estuary to Ulverston. There is an Ordnance Survey trig point at...
, then following the coast northwards. He was concerned that an inland route over the fells would involve dangerously steep slopes. He saw the viaduct as a national project and he intended that it would trap the silt in order to claim Morecambe Bay for agriculture.. In 1843, after considerable debate, this plan was shelved in favour of the present Shap Fell route..
Consequently, Furness, instead of finding the main line on its doorstep, had to make its own arrangements to join its local rail network to the national one. Any short connection southwards would necessarily involve a locally financed crossing of Morecambe Bay and this was a daunting prospect — the quicksands and fierce tides of the bay are still notorious. The 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster
2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster
The Morecambe Bay cockling disaster occurred on the evening of 5 February 2004 at Morecambe Bay in North West England, when at least 21 cockle pickers were drowned by an incoming tide off the Lancashire/Cumbrian coast....
reminded many people of the dangers. Nevertheless the iron miners needed a good connection in order to make their product competitive. The directors of the Furness Railway
Furness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
were not in a hurry to take it on so it was promoted by John Brogden and Sons
John Brogden and Sons
John Brogden and Sons was a firm of Railway Contractors, Iron and Coal Miners and Iron Smelters operating from roughly 1837 to the bankruptcy in 1883. However the business essentially started when John Brogden moved from his father's farm near Clitheroe to set up in business in the rapidly...
, a Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-based firm of railway contractors and promoters who had expanded into iron mining activity in the Furness area.
The Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway Act received the Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
in 1851. The directors were: John Brogden (sen.)
John Brogden (industrialist)
John Brogden was a cleansing, building and railway contractor, railway promoter, a miner of coal and iron and an iron smelter. He was brought up on a farm near Clitheroe, Lancashire. As a young man he migrated to a rapidly growing Manchester and applied his farmer's knowledge of horses as a...
, John Brogden (jun.)
John Brogden Jun. (industrialist)
John Brogden Junior was the eldest son of John Brogden . He was born in Manchester in 1823. He was educated at the academy in Blackburn and then studied chemistry in Manchester. He joined his father’s business in 1846 and was closely involved with all the work...
, Alexander Brogden
Alexander Brogden
Alexander Brogden was born in Manchester on 3 November 1825, the second son of John Brogden and educated at Blackburn, New College Manchester and King's College London, where he read mathematics. He married Anne Garstang on 6 September 1848 at Manchester Cathedral. He joined his father’s...
, Henry Brogden
Henry Brogden (industrialist)
Henry Brogden was born in Manchester, the third son of John Brogden. He was educated at King’s College, London and spent a year at the locomotive works of George Stephenson, Newcastle-on-Tyne...
, James Garstang (Alexander’s father-in-law) and Joseph Paxton
Joseph Paxton
Sir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
(later Sir Joseph).The line was planned by McClean
John Robinson McClean
John Robinson McClean CB FRS , was a British civil engineer and Liberal Party politician.-Early life:He was born in Belfast. Educated at Belfast Academical Institution and University of Glasgow.-Engineering career:...
and Stileman at 19 miles in length of which ten miles comprised embankments, and viaducts across the tidal estuaries of the rivers Kent
River Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
and Leven. Much of this was sand running to a depth of 30 to 70 feet..
Construction
Work on the line was not in full progress until September 1853 owing to shortages of labour and accommodation. McClean and Stileman had resigned as engineers the previous February so construction was superintended by James BrunleesJames Brunlees
Sir James Brunlees was a Scottish civil engineer. He was born in Kelso in the Scottish Borders in 1816.In 1850, Brunlees worked on the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway...
. Brunlees had already completed a similar project and went on to achieve great eminence. The viaducts were built by W & J Galloway & Sons
W & J Galloway & Sons
W & J Galloway and Sons was a British manufacturer of steam engines and boilers, based in Manchester, England. The firm was established in 1835 as a partnership of two brothers, William and John Galloway. The partnership expanded to encompass their sons and in 1889 it was restructured as a limited...
of Manchester. Brunlees and Galloway later collaborated on the Southport Pier
Southport Pier
Southport Pier is a Grade II listed structure in Southport, Merseyside, England. At 1,216 yards it is the second longest in Great Britain after Southend Pier...
. The work was costly however and Brogdens had to ask the Furness Railway for financial assistance. As the Furness could not legally do this, two of their directors: the Earl of Burlington
William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire KG, PC , styled as Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1831 and 1834 and known as The Earl of Burlington between 1834 and 1858, was a British landowner, benefactor and politician.-Background and education:Cavendish was the son of William Cavendish, eldest...
and the Duke of Buccleuch
Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch
Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry KG, PC , styled Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 1819, was a British politician and nobleman.-Background and education:...
made a loan of £50,000 in their personal capacities. The line was opened on 26 August 1857. Gross expenditure was over £410,000 .
In 1858 the Brogdens approached the Furness Railway for a further loan as traffic on the U&L had not “come up to expectations”. However the FR insisted that they would only offer a loan if the U&L was sold to them so Brogdens declined this offer. In 1859-1860 the line began to pay its way. It was rumoured that the line would be sold to the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
and in 1862 an agreement was made between the shareholders of the U&L and Furness. U&L shareholders received 5% preference stock
Preferred stock
Preferred stock, also called preferred shares, preference shares, or simply preferreds, is a special equity security that has properties of both an equity and a debt instrument and is generally considered a hybrid instrument...
in the Furness Railway in return for their U&L shares, not a very large return considering that they had risked losing the money altogether. This railway link was critical to the later industrial development of Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
and its locality and mining interests . It also caused silt to build up in former tidal areas, creating new agricultural land.
External links
- http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ulverston_and_Lancaster_Railway/body.htm
- http://www.furnessrailwaytrust.org.uk/frco.htm